heart should vtter and declare another For before the tongue and mouth speake or speach be framed in them it must first be conceiued and bred in the heart and minde and then brought foorth and pronounced by the tongue and mouth Therefore Elihu saieth to Iob I pray thee heare my talke and hearken vnto all my wordes Beholde now I haue opened my mouth my tongue hath spoken in my mouth My wordes are in the vprightnesse of my heart and my lips shall speake pure knowledge We see heere how Elthu ioyneth the heart with the mouth the tongue the palat and the lippes all which are instruments of the speach as we heard before Therefore there must always be a good general agreement betweene al these things This good coÌ„cord beginning in our selues according to euery mans particular place ought to stretch it self generally to al that we may al agree together as the spirite of God so often exhorteth vs thereunto in his holy word And therefore it calleth them men of double hearts and double tongues that are not vpright in heart nor true and certaine in word Our Lorde saieth that of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good thinges and an euill man out of an euill treasure bringeth foorth euill things For as the tree is knowen by his fruite so speach maketh manifest both the heart and mind of a man Therefore hee shall be a great deale better knowen by his speach then by the sight of his face For his face doth not so wel lay open to the eyes his heart mind maners as his speach discloseth theÌ„ to the eares as we may iudge by that which we learned to this effect in the former discourse Therefore before the bellows of the lungs blow to frame afterward voice speach in the tongue and mouth the draught must be first drawne and framed in the hart that the tongue mouth may represent and expresse it afterward otherwise they will speake to no purpose but onely giue testimony that there is litle wisedome vpright affection in the hart Hereof it is that Salomon sheweth oftentimes that a wise mans toong is not lightly set on worke without the direction and counsaile of the heart and mind whose seruant and messenger it ought to bee but a foole powreth forth al his mind at once For he vttereth al that commeth in his mouth and speaketh before he hath considered what hee ought to say so that his words are sooner spoken then thought vpon The heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely and addeth doctrine to his lippes Faire words are as an hony combe sweetenesse to the soule and health to the bones The wise in heart shal be called prudent and the sweetenesse of the lippes shall increase doctrine A wise man concealeth knowledge but the heart of fooles publisheth foolishnesse A foole powreth out all his mind but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward There are many such like places in the Prouerbs which I coulde alleadge to this purpose And wee know what is commonly spoken when a man speaketh of a good affection and in trueth that hee speakes from his heart but if hee be knowen to be a lyar craftie and deceitfull we say that he speaketh not from his heart Which is as much as if one should say that the same thing is not in his heart which he hath in his mouth Although in truth when those speaches are thought vpon before such contrarieties are found as wel in the heart as in the tongue and mouth For if they were not first in that they would not be in the tongue which is the messenger of the heart This is the cause of that double heart which we said was in wicked close and disguised persons You see then what wee haue to note both in regard of the bellowes that blow the Organs of mans body also of the player that ought to blowe and direct them Now let vs speake of the instruments and pipes into which the winde breath of these bellows doth enter giueth motion conuenient sound to euery one of them They haue bene named all vnto vs before Wherefore we haue to consider of that pipe which is called the rough Artery or wind-pipe which is made like to a flute and in regard of the matter is of the nature of a gristle and of skin It was necessary that it should be of such matter because it is to moue when it receiueth in or giueth out the aire and to be inlarged or restrained as need requireth Needful therfore it was that it should be compounded of such skins as are easie to moue to open shut and which might serue for soft tender ligaments And bicause the voice cannot be framed if the aire whereof it is made be not beaten backe with some thing it was in like maner requisite that some gristles should be mingled therewith and linked together as it was needful for the eares to be made winding in that the aire might rebound the better and receiue the sounds as wee heard before For this cause it is called a rough artery as wel in respect of the matter whereof it is compounded as of the figure For it is made after the maner of small circles and rings placed in a ranke one by another throughout the whole length thereof like to the taile of a Creuis and that with such moderation that it is thicke slender and driâ— according as neede requireth to make the voyce of a reasonable bignesse If it be too drie it malieth the voyce shrill and hard to bee pronounced as experience sheweth in burning feauers and in great droughts Againe the pipe thereof is larger beneath then aboue and so lesseneth vpward where neede is like to the pipe of a Bag-pipe to the end that the blast should neither be too slow and weake in ascending nor yet ouer hastie and â—odaine For if it be â—lowe and languishing it will turne to wind without any noise and sound and if it be hasty and sodaine it will breed sighes in stead of voyce as it falleth out to them that are diseased and weake whose breath is short and to old men who haue small vertue of respiration and much lesse of singing Therfore some expound that place of Ecclesiastes where it is said that all the daughters of singing shal be abased of the voyce of olde men and of the instruments which breede and pronounce it and of their vertue and strength although others will haue it to be vnderstoode of the eares But it may be referred to them both Now the principal instrument of the voice is in the head of the rough artery namely in that place which is commonly called the knot or ioynt of the necke or Adams morsel being fashioned likest to an Almaine flute I abstaine froÌ„ speaking more
moderation or defect in the internall senses which exercise their offices in the head as well particularly as generally Therefore it is not without reason sayde in our common speach of him that hath a good spirite sense and iudgement that his head is well made and contrariwise that his head is ill made that wanteth these things For whatsoeuer the inhabitant or workeman is that laboureth the lodging in which hee dwelleth or the tooles and instruments which hee vseth are of great moment to further or hinder him in his worke But nowe that we are in hand with frenetike persons and haue saide before that good and ill spirites haue great meanes and such as wee can not comprehend whereby they mooue the imagination and fantasie of men it shall not be altogether fruitlesse if we speake somewhat of them that are possessed with spirites For there are some who thinke not that the Deuilles in their very substance enter into the bodies or soules heartes or mindes of men I speake not heere of such as thinke there is neither God nor Angelles nor Deuilles but euen of them that beleeue all these thinges who neuerthelesse thinke that euill spirites trouble the heartes and mindes of men onely by prouocations temptations and illusions Others there are that referre all the madnesse of Lunatike folkes to naturall causes as if they proceeded either from melancholike or cholerike humours or some such like causes as frensinesse madnesse and furie or some such diseases whereby men are carried beside themselues True it is and cannot be denied that many are thought to be possessed with Deuilles when in deede they are nothing so For there are some counterfeit crankes as many haue beene taken with the maner who vpon some occasion haue by meere knauery fained themselues such And some also there are that bee but melancholy madde and carried away by some disease of the braine but because their melancholie and furie is very violent and strange ignorant people suppose they are possessed with some spirite Notwithstanding wee may not doubt but that euil spirits desirous to hurt men both in their goodes bodies and soules vse al the meanes and occasions they can possibly inuent and finde out to execute their malice when it pleaseth God to giue them leaue For they can driue forward and mooue the hearts and mindes of men and set them in such a fury that euen their reason and iudgement wil be wholly confounded and as it were cleane extinguished Heereupon it commeth that many being caried headlong with such madnesse teare and kill themselues or their owne wiues children or others whereof we may daily see many examples Neuerthelesse we say not that the naturall light which God hath giuen them is wholly put out in them much lesse in those that are not so farre gone but the Deuill doeth stirre them forward with such violence that they are as it were taken perforce from themselues when they are forsaken of God Which examples ought to admonish vs to call vpon God incessantly that hee woulde gouerne vs by his sonne Iesus Christ who is come to destroy the woorkes of the Deuill that so the light of reason and of iudgement may not be darkened or put out in vs and that our heartes be not so possessed and pusshed on by Satan that wee rush our selues through a deuilish furie against the will of God And this did our Sauiour teach vs to demaund of him when hee saide Pray that yee enter not into tentation and when hee taught vs to say Leade vs not into tentation but deliuer vs from euill For if euill spirits durst set vpon those that were sounde both in body and soule after that manner which I haue spoken of according to that power that was giuen them wee may not thinke that they spare such as are sicke especially those that are already troubled in braine and beside themselues For the Deuill as our mortall enemie continually watcheth for those occasions that are fittest and most for his aduantage to hurte vs withal Therefore he intrudeth himselfe amidst our diseases and miseries chiefely when there is weakenesse of braine ioyned therewith vsing against vs those weapons which hee findeth in our owne nature as also those which his owne malice and rage ministreth vnto him whereof wee haue a very profitable example in the historie of Iob. Hee declareth plainely by his speach that if the feare of God had not kept him backe he had rather haue strangled himself then liued in that miserable estate wherein he was And no doubt if God had not helde a strong hand ouer his seruant Iob and brideled the rage and euill will of Satan that persecuted him the Deuill had had great power ouer this good man to haue perswaded him to make away himselfe desperately as Achitophel and Iudas did Nowe if the Deuill preuailed so farre with Iob by that leaue which God gaue him to afflict and trouble him wee may well thinke what hee can doe with the wicked and reprobate whome GOD wholly abandoneth and giueth ouer vnto him We haue a very plaine example in Saul of whome it is written that the spirite of the Lord went from him and that hee was giuen ouer of the Lord to an euill spirite which troubled and vexed him and that in the ende he fell into such desperation that hee vtterly forsooke God and slew himselfe We may know also by that which the holy Euangelists haue written of such as were possessed and were healed by Iesus Christ and by his Apostles what power euill spirites haue ouer thē whilest God suffered them to execute their rage and furie A man may easily iudge that such persons are not onely out of their wits through sicknesse but that euill spirites possesse them For he so troubleth their minde and spirite that they knowe 〈◊〉 more what they doe then the veriest bedlems that can be And although hee horribly vexeth their bodies yet they feele not his torments or if they doe feele them yet they cannot abstain from vexing thēselues So that it is easily knowen that the deuill is in them and that it proceedeth not onely of a simple frenzie or melancholy humour seeing some of them haue done such things as coulde not possibly bee perfourmed by the power of man whereof some of those are witnesses whom the holy scripture rehearseth vnto vs. Wherefore it is out of all question that euill spirites haue wrought both in them and by them Therefore we haue good occasion offered vnto vs by all that hath beene hitherto spoken to humble our selues before God and to pray vnto him continually as wee saide in the beginning of our speech For being as we are we ought still to praise God who distributeth his graces as it pleaseth him and that by a most exquisite kinde of iustice And when wee see those that are infirme and beside themselues some for a certaine time and by fittes others continually and after diuers manners
cheerefull his affection was towards them what ioy he receiued thereby as himselfe speaking plainly doth with his mouth giue full testimony of his heart writeth thus vnto them O Corinthians our mouth is open vnto you our heart is made large you are not kept straite in vs. And then complaining of them that their heart was not so bent towardes him he saieth But ye are kept straite in your owne bowels And heere we may note that by this worde Bowels is meant generally all the internall members and parts of man especially the heart and those that are next vnto it Now because the heart is the seate of the affections and the other members neere vnto it serue for his vse therefore the bowels are taken in the holy Scriptures for all the motions of the heart and for all the affections of men that proceed from it but chiefly for loue also for ioy pitie and compassion which haue their beginning from loue whose nature is to open the heart which in steade of opening shutteth vp it selfe against those that are not loued or that a man hateth Therefore as loue or hatred is great or small hote or cold so doth the heart open or close it selfe Hereof it is saide in the historie of the two women that stoode before Salomons iudgement seat about their two children whereof the one was dead and the other aliue that the bowels of the true mother were mooued towardes her childe And Saint Paul exhorting the Colossians to charitie and compassion saieth Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued put on the bowels of mercy that is to say of tender affection kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another euen as Christ forgaue you so doe ye And aboue all these things put on loue which is the bond of perfectnesse and let the peace of God namely that which God hath established among his rule in your hearts to the which ye are called in one body and be gracious or amiable We see here what vertues accompany these bowels of mercy of which hee spake in the beginning as in deed al thâ—se vertues and heauenly gifts are so knit together that they cannot be separated one from an other And Saint Iohn speaking of that liberalitie and loue which ought to be among Christians saieth Whosoeuer hath this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his bowels from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Then he addeth Let vs not loue in worde neither in tongue onely but in worke and in trueth And to this purpose Esaias saith If thou powre out thy soule to the hungry and refresh the troubled soule then shall thy light spring out in the darkenesse and thy darkenesse shal be as the noone-day All which places agree very well to that which wee haue touched concerning the motion of the heart whereby it is either opened or closed vp as the affections are disposed that mooue it But let vs consider more narrowly the nature of these affections of ioy and sorrowe and what difference is betweene them seeing we haue taken them for the ground of our speach For the first let vs know that ioy is properly a motion or an affection of the heart whereby it taketh pleasure and stayeth it selfe in that Good which is offered vnto it or if wee had rather thus it is a motion of the soule proceeding from the iudgement of some Good which is already present or certainely neere at hand And therefore when the heart is enlarged therewith not onely laughter is bred but all the body also leapeth when the ioy is so great that the breast cannot containe nor keepe in the heart But when the ioy is moderate it purgeth the blood by heate it confirmeth health and bringeth with it a liuely and vigorous heate which is very wholsome and acceptable to the heart True it is that the heart and will often deceiue themselues in the choice and election of that which is Good whether it be that following reason and iudgement corrupted which should shew what is Good they embrace their errour or whether it be that Will being corrupted of it selfe through sinne letteth loose the bridle against the iudgement of reason and so suffereth her selfe to be carried headlong by her euill affections in following some false shewe of good Whereupon it commonly commeth to passe that in steade of ioy which the heart should receiue of Good vnto which the will tendeth naturally it receiueth great sorrow and griefe after knowledge taken of the fault This is the cause why we are so often admonished by the spirite of God to renounce our owne sense reason prudence and wisedome and to submit our selues wholly to the counsaile and wisedome of God and to iudge of good and of euill of the true and false Goods according to his iudgement and not according to our owne as also to renounce our owne desires to followe his will As for griefe or sorrow wee may iudge of this affection by the contrary which is ioy namely that it is a motion and an affection of the heart whereby it is restrained and pressed either with some present euill or with some that is in a manner present which displeaseth the heart as if it had receiued some grieuous wound Therefore it trembleth and languisheth as a sicke body who drying vp with griefe by little and little in the end dicth except hee haue some remedy against his sickenesse For the like happeneth to the heart of man through griefe as long as it is within it insomuch that it neuer forsaketh it vntil it hath quite dried vp and consumed the same And therefore as there is pleasure and rest in ioy so in sorrow there is dolour and torment For it ingendreth melancholy and melancholy ingendreth it and increaseth it more so that wee often see melancholy men very sadde although no harme hath befallen them neither can they giue any reason of their heauines Moreouer this blacke melancholy humor is of this nature that it will make the spirit and mind darkish whereby it groweth to be blockish the heart looseth all his cheerefulnes And because the braine is cooled thereby it waxeth very heauy drowsie Now when griefe is in great measure it bringeth withal a kind of loathing tediousnes which causeth a man to hate to be weary of all things euen of the light and of a mans selfe so that he shal take pleasure in nothing but in his melancholy in feeding himselfe therewithall in plunging himselfe deeper into it and in refusing of all ioy and consolation To conclude some growe so farre as to hate themselues and so fall to dispaire yea many kill and destroy themselues And as the heart by enlarging it selfe with ioy appeareth in the countenance so doeth it also in sorrow and griefe For as
flaming euen after such a maner that it amaseth them as if it thundred down vpon thē Therfore it fareth with thē as it doth with drunkards frantik persons who know not whether they haue any soule or sense any mind or conscience so long as they are drunke out of their wits vntil such time as they haue slept their ful are restored againe to their right wits So that howsoeuer this word Conscience is vsed it is properly a iudgement that is in our mind whereby we approoue that which is wel done reprooue the contrary According then as our iudgement is vpright and sound or weake corrupted good or euill so also haue we our conscience either more right or more crooked But as it cannot otherwise be but that they who haue eies see the light although they will not see it or say they doe not see it so it cannot be but that the eies of the mind beholdeth the natural light that is in it and those things that are discouered vnto it thereby seeing it proceedeth from God who is the fountaine of al light and who will neuer suffer it to be so cleane extinguished in man but that still there remaineth sufficient to condemne him withall Therefore the very Heathen coulde say that a wicked person could neuer be absolued by himself nor yet escape and flee from his own iudgement and condemnation he being iudge of himselfe So that although the wicked and vniust oftentimes escape the iudgement of men yet they can neuer saue themselues from their own iudgement which their conscience alwaies executeth after the perfection of their processe For it exerciseth foure offices against them The first is the office of an Accuser the second of a witnes so it is as good as a thousand as we vse to speake the third of a Iudge the fourth of an executioner and hangman For seeing the iudgement of the conscience is ordained and established by God from heauen in that which is well done there alwayes followeth to it tranquilitie rest and ioy of heart and in that which is wickedly done dolor and torment which punisheth the offence taketh vengeance of him that hath committed it Heereof it is that none liue in greater feare then the greatest contemners of God that are most giuen ouer to all kindes of vice and wickednes and who declare most euidently by their works that no feare of God or of his iudgements holdeth them in For they liue as if they carried death alwayes in their bosome howe good a face soeuer they set vpon the matter outwardly And because they cast all feare of God farre from them he vouchsafeth them not the honour to giue them a heart to feare him as they ought but hee beateth downe their pride in such sort that he causeth them to stand in feare not only of men of tempests of thunders and of lightnings but hee terrifieth them also by dreames and maketh them to tremble at their owne fancies yea they quake oftentimes at flies and mice and such contemptible things but yet so as this feare commeth from a higher cause For it is sent of God who thus derideth his aduersaries making himselfe terrible in his creatures to them that know him not neither feare him as their Creatour and the Creator of those his creatures I say then that although we had no other testimonie in vs of any God or of any diuinitie and diuine nature and so consequently of his iudgement in a second life yet this ought to suffice vs that commeth from feare which is a naturall perturbation in man as we haue heard For whosoeuer feareth declareth plainly thereby that there must of necessitie be some power aboue him that is able to hurt him For he that is assuredly perswaded that nothing can hurt him is voide of feare Nowe there is no humane power or creature whatsoeuer it be that is able to deliuer men from all feare no not the greatest Emperours Kings and Princes themselues who are most feared and redoubted and who cause all men to tremble vnder them being as it were terrestriall gods amongst other men Nay these men themselues are so farre from being deliuered from all feare and terrour that very seldome any liue in greater feare then they doe as they declare plainely in that they must alwayes haue a great garde of men about them and yet can not euer auoyde those daungers which they feare For it often commeth to passe that they are slaine eyther by poison or sworde or by some other kinde of violent death and that by such as should haue kept them or whome they trusted most as is to be seene by dayly experience But albeit there were no other feare then the feare of death which is commonly greatest in the wicked and which they can not finally auoyde yet they can not but liue alwayes in feare And liuing so they must acknowledge will they nill they that there is some other power greater then their owne which causeth them to feare and before which they must one day appeare For if it were otherwise why shoulde they feare Nowe whilest wee seeke for this power wee must of necessitie come to one soueraigne power vnder which all other principalities are raunged and which hath no other aboue it selfe And being come thereunto wee must withall conclude that this power can not be humane but must needes bee diuine and so consequently eternall and infinite or at leastwise they must confesse that they cannot comprehend this power This being so I thinke wee may fight against the Atheists with the same reason whereby they woulde perswade themselues that there is neither God nor Diuinitie but onely in the opinion and fantasie of men and that their feare vnto which they are alwayes subiect hath put this opinion of God into their heades Therefore they alleadge that which a Heathen Poet sayde agreeable to this opinion of the Epicures namely that feare was the first that made Gods in the worlde For men being possessed therewith and not finding such helpe amongest all the creatures as can deliuer them from all those dangers which they feare they must seeke for an other without the creatures which can not but bee a diuine power if there be any at all as in trueth there is Whereunto if Epicures and Atheists will giue no credite I would fain know of them what is the cause of this terrour and feare which is of such vertue and power in the hearts of all that no creature whatsoeuer being partaker of reason and vnderstanding can goe beyond it or is able to plucke it wholly out of his heart and vtterly to extinguish it as euery one feeleth by experience in himselfe and as these men of whome wee speake confesse by their owne sayings Therefore I can hope for no better from them in defence of their impietie but that they should stirre maliciously against the testimonies of their owne
being indued with meaner gifts and those also who being furnished with more excellent ornaments of Gods spirite were puffed vp with pride in themselues and with disdyne towards others of fewer graces And this being the second vse that ariseth from this naturall knowledge of our bodies offreth it selfe in most plentifull manner to be obserued by vs in euery part and member of the same What a notable lesson of good neighbourhood are we taught by the view contemplation of mans face For as many seueral members of different vses are so artificially knit and linked together in one face that not one of them is any impediment or hinderance vnto another in the execution of his office so we are instructed thereby how to cary our selues towardes our neighbours euery one to containe himselfe within the limits of his seuerall calling not to incroch one vpon another as the maner of a great many is that are not contented with their owne estate Againe in the second story of this frame when wee consider the lungs which are the bellowes of the voyce are placed so neere the heart that they compasse it rounde about are not all men thereby admonished that their speach is but the interpreter of the heart the messenger therof that the mouth must like a good seruant attend vpon the heart vtter nothing but that which it receiueth first froÌ„ the same that no man ought to imitate the example of Hippolytus in Euripides who being admonished of his Nurse to remember his Oath made her this mishapen answere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The tongue hath sworne but the mind is vnsworne As many hollow-hearted subiects of late dayes behaued themselues towads her Maiestie hauing recâ—iued a dispensation so to doe from Pope Gregorie the thirteenth whose goodly posie was thus set down in certaine tokens sent to all such as were to be reconciled vnto him Fili mi da mihi cor sufficit My sonne giue me thy heart and iâ— sufficeth Which is all one as if he had said sweare and forsweare thy self if thou wilt say thou art a good subiect go to the church do whatsoeuer is commanded thee so thou let me haue thy heart it skilleth not who haue thy tâ—â—g thy hande all the rest of thy body Elihu being of another spirit was better instructed in the knowlege of this neare coniunction which naturally ought to be betwene the heart and the tongue and therefore speaking to his friend Iob he telleth him that his words should be in the vprightnesse of his heart Whereas they that follow not this course of nature but violently draw their tongue to vtter that which is far disagreeing from the meaning of the heart are branded for the same by the kingly Prophet Dauid with this mark of infamy that they are men of two harts or of a double heart which is monstrous in nature The like instruction to this we are taught in that the tongue is placed so neere vnder the braine which is the seate of the mind vnderstanding part of man as it were at the feet of her schoolemaster to the intent it should not speake vnaduisedly and handouer head as we vse to say but with great deliberation both in regard of the matter it self to be deliuered by speech and also of the circumstances of time place and persons which are not to be neglected For looke how preposterous it is to set the 〈◊〉 before the horse so is it for the tongue to run before the wit and to vtter it knoweth not wel what hauing receiued no direction from the same And therfore Salomon putting the name of heart for the minde and vnderstanding part of man saith that a righteous mans heart meditateth or pondereth what it shal answer that the heart of the wise guideth his mouth prudently Neither is it slightly to be passedouer that euery one hauing two eies that serue for seeing two eares for hearing two nostrils for smelling two feet for going hath yet but one soft fleshy tongue for sundry vses that tied fast with strings compassed about with gums teeth and lips as with a double wall to teach men thereby that the tongue being a very vnruly member had neede to be brideled hemmed in on euery side least it breake forth into a world of wickednes and breed destruction to the whole body Now if we look into the middle story of this building there wee shall see that although the heart be the fountaine of life and the root of al the vital spirits that are dispersed into euery part and member of the body yet it cannot want either the coole refreshing it hath from the lungs or the veine-pipâ—s proceeding from the liuer or the moouing strings it hath from the sinews or the necessary defence of the ribbes and bones which as strong bulwarks and rampires fence it in on euery side Euen so fareth it with the great and mighty men of this worlde who although in regarde of their power and authoritie ouer others they seeme to haue their liues and liuelihoodes at their becke and commaundement yet they are so farre from being able of themselues to maintaine their honours and high places without the necessary aide of the inferiour sort as that without them they shoulde want wherewith to vpholde their owne liues But this appeareth yet more euident in the lower story of this frame where the guttes and entrailes of the body as it were the sinks of an house haue their abiding For although in regard of their vse they may seeme to be the basest and most abiect partes of the body yet if we consider the necessitie of them we shall see that a man may better spare a principall member of his body then the least gut that is in his belly Euen so fareth it with the politike body of a coÌ„mon wealth in which the base Artisan wil sooner be missed oftentimes then he that carrieth a greaterport and is aduanced to a higher roome and office in the same A third vse that may be made of this booke as it were of a christal glasse worthy the looking into is that singular delight pleasure which may be reaped by the view and consideration of the harmony betwene this terrestriall frame the celestiall habitation of the heauens when they are compared together And as that famous sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy selfe is reported of many to haue descended from the heauens so surely it wil be no small furtherance to a man whereby hee may attaine to a better knowledge of himselfe if hee seriously obserue what a great agreement there is betwene him and the heauens whereunto the very situation of his countenaunce lift vp towardes heauen doeth as it were leade him by the hand First therefore if wee consider the originall of them both wee finde in holy Writ that as God is saide to haue made the heauens in the beginning so also it is
there related that not long after he made man after his owne image and committed vnto him the soueraigntie ouer the earth and ouer all liuing and moouing creatures vnder the cope of heauen Neither can it bee truely said that howsoeuer the Lord himselfe formed the first man and breathed in his face the breath of life yet since that first creation hee hath not intermedled at all with the continual propagation of mankinde but hath surrendered all his working power into the handes of nature by whose powerfull operation the matter of mens bodies is brought to this glorious perfection which we see it hath when it first appeareth in the worlde For this is to speake after the manner of meere naturall men that haue not as yet learned the language of Canaan as is plaine if wee call to minde what the kingly Prophet saieth vnto the Lorde that it was hee that possessed his reines and that couered him in his mothers wombe Which also is more manifestly taught by that holy man Iob who confidently affirmeth that it was the Lorde who had powred him out as milke and turned him to cruddes like cheese that he had clothed him with skinne and flesh and ioyned him together with bones and sinewes Wherefore as it was the eternall God who first turned the body of the heauens into that roundnes gathered the light into the bodies of the celestiall lamps fixed the starres in the firmament endued ech planet with his seuerall motion and clothed the inferior world with this glorious circumference so the same God at the first planted Adam as the roote of mankind and euer since hath caused his whole race euery seuerall person as so many branches to issue and grow out of his loynes He turned the eies into that roundnesse hee planted the eares as watch-towers in the vpper part of the head he placed the tongue fastned the teeth stretched out the sinewes hee watred the veines with blood gaue maessines to the bones and clothed the flesh with a fine skin as with a garment he seuered the fingers and toes caused the feete to walke and the hands to gripe Hee and none but he giueth sight to the eies hearing to the eares taste to the tongue smelling to the nostrilles and feeling to the fingers Who but hee hath endued the lungs with breathing the heart with the spirits of life the stomacke with concoction the liuer with the making of blood and womens breastes with the making of milke Who hath fashioned the instruments of hearing in the head like to a hammer and an anuile the heart in the body like a pyramide and made the spleene in substance like a spunge Who hath couered the head with haire for comelines and boared the skin through with infinit pores for euacuation In a word who hath giuen beauty to the whole body and to each member his seueral operation What father what mother what workman hath wrought these things but the onely wise and immortall God But to proceede as the sunne moone and celestial starres and planets haue a double motion the one common with the whole body of the heauens the other proper and peculiar according to the nature of euery seuerall starre so haue the partes of mans body two motions whereof the one dependeth of the motion of the whole body and is therefore vniuersall and the other is particular according to the inset nature and disposition of each seuerall member And to descend to a more speciall comparison of one particular thing with an other how doth the diuerse operations of the animal spirite whose seate is in the braine concurre with the different workings of the sunne in the firmament vpon the infâ—riour bodies here below vpon the face of the earth We see that through the selfe-same reflexion of the sun-beames the clay is hardned and the wax made soft that the light of the sun is comfortable to some eies whereas other become worse through the brightnes of the same that it worketh otherwise vpon a thicke body then vpon a thin vpon a hard then vpon a soft vpon a plant then vpon a stone vpon the earth then vpon the water So the Animal spirit being distributed into sundry partr and members of the body worketh diuersly in each of them according to the diuerse nature composition and temperament of euery one For being imparted to the eyes by the opticke sinewes it giueth sight to the eares by certaine passages it woorketh hearing to the tongue by small Nerues it breedeth tasting in a worde being dispersed into the muscles and skinne by meanes of certaine sinowie threedes concurring in manner of a net it infuseth feeling throughout the whole body And as it often falleth out that wee are depriued of the heate and light of the sunne when either some thicke cloude or the bodie of the Moone or some such thing is interposed and put betweene vs and the same so wee quickely see and feele the want of the Animall spirite when any thicke clammie humour or winde or melancholicke fumes or any such impediment stoppe the passages and hinder the woorking thereof as is to be seene in them that are taken with the palsie apoplexie madnesse numnesse and such like It is no lesse delectable then straunge to consider in howe many thinges the Sunne as it were the heart of the heauens agreeth with the heart of man which may not vnfittely bee called the sunne of the body For as the Sunne being the chiefest of the Planets occupieth the middle place among those wandering starres hauing the rest as his guarde both aboue and beneath him to employ as neede requireth both for their owne safetie and the good of the inferiour worlde so the heart being the chiefest member of the body is seated in the middle storie of the same hauing the other partes both aboue and beneath it and on euery side employing them according to their seuerall offices for the vpholding and preseruation of the whole frame And as the Sunne is the storehouse of that celestiall heate which together with a diuine and quickening spirite working in the bowelles of the earth maketh it a fruitfull Mother and tender Nurse for the bringing foorth and preseruation of all thinges so the heart is the harth from whence proceedeth all that inset and natiue heate which being conueyed with the vitall spirite into euery member of the bodie maketh them liuely and powerfull to perfourme those dueties that are enioyned them Concerning the motion of the heart as it agreeth with the Sunne in this that they both haue a double motion so in that the heaâ— being the first that receiueth life and motion is the Originall of all motion in the body it resembleth the whole heauens of which dependeth all naturall motions of inferiour bodies whatsoeuer Againe the two eies in the head represent the two chiefe lights in the firmament And as there are both simple stars in the heauens namely the Sunne Moone Saturne Iupitâ—r Mercurie with the
nature and composition of the heart and of the midriffe of the tunicles or skinnie couerings of the breast and of the Pericardion or Cawle about the heart of the motion office and vse of the lungs of the heart and of the arteryes Chap. 37. 224 Of the substance situation and counterpoize of the heart of the nature and vse of the vitall spirite and of the forge vessels and instruments thereof of the sundry doores and pipes of the heart and of their vses Chap. 38. 229 Of the second motion of the heart which belongeth to the affections of the soule and of those that goe before or follow after iudgement of the agreement that is betweene the temperature of the body and the affections of the soule Chap. 39. 233 Of the health and diseases of the soule of the agreement betweene corporall and spiritual physicke how necessarie the knowledge of the nature of the body and of the soule is for euery one Chap. 40. The sixt dayes worke 237 OF foure things to bee considered in the will and in the power of desiring in the soule and first of natural inclinations of selfe loue and the vnrulinesse thereof Chap. 41. 241 Of the habite of the soule in the matter of the affections and of what force it is of the causes why the affections are giuen to the soule with the vse of them of the fountaine of vertues and vices Chap. 42 246 That according to the disposition of the iudgement the affections are more or lesse moderate or immoderate of the cause of all the motions of the soule and heart of the variety of affections of the generation nature and kindes of them Chap. 43. 250 That ioy or griefe are alwayes ioyned to the affections and what ioy and griefe are properly Chap. 44. 255 Of the causes why God hath placed these affections of ioy and sorrow in the heart of true and false ioy and of good and bad hope Chap. 45. 260 Of feare and of the nature and effects thereof toward the body the mind and the soule and how it troubleth them of the true harnesse and armour against feare Chap. 46. 265 Of the delight and pleasure that followeth euery ioy and of the moderation that is required therein of diuers degrees of pleasures and how men abuse them especially those pleasures which are receiued by the corporal senses Chap. 47. 270 Of the comparison of pleasures receiued by the internall senses and how men descend by degrees from the best to the basest pleasures of the difference betweene the vse of spirituall delights and corporall and how the one chase the other Chap. 48. The seuenth dayes worke 276 OF the affections of loue of the nature kinds and obiect of it of the beginning of friendship of the vertue and force of alluring that is in likenesse and in beauty of the agreement that is betweene beauty and goodnesse Chap. 49. 281 Of other causes why beauty procureth loue and of diuers degrees and kinds of beauty how it is the nature of loue alwayes to vnite an what other effects it hath how loue descendeth and ascendeth not what power it hath to allure and breed loue Chap. 50. 286 Of desire and coueting and of the kinds of it of the infinitenesse of mens desires and what Good is able to satisfie and content it of the difference betweene desire and loue and of the vtmost limit and end of loue Chap. 51. 291 Of the good things that are in true loue of the diuers valuations of loue and of the benefits which it procureth what knowledge is requisite to allure loue and how one loue groweth by another of the friendshippe that may bee both betweene the good and the badde Chap. 52. 297 Of fauour reuerence and of honour of their nature and effects of those outward signes whereby they shewe themselues of pity and compassion and howe agreeable it is to the nature of man Chap. 53. 302 Of offence in the heart and soule of the degrees of offence and of the good and euill that may be in this affection of contempt that is bredde of it and of mockery which followeth contempt Chap. 54. 307 Of anger and of the vehemency and violency thereof of the difference that is betweene anger and rancor of the affection of reuenge that accompanieth them of the motions of the heart in anger with the effectes thereof wherefore this affection is giuen to man and to what vse it may serue him Chap. 55. 313 Of hatred and of the nature and effects thereof of a good kind of hatred and of the remedy to cure the euill hatred of enuie and of the kindes and effects thereof of the difference betweene good and euill enuy Chap. 56. The eight dayes worke 319 OF iealousie and of the kindes thereof how it may bee eyther a vice or a vertue howe true zeale true iealousie and indignation proceede of loue of their natures and why these affections are giuen to man Chap. 57. 324 Of reuenge cruelty and rage and what agreement there is among them what shame and blushing is and why God hath placed these affections in man and of the good and euill that is in them Chap. 58. 330 Of pride with the consideration thereof aswell in nature intire as corrupted of the orginall thereof and of such as are most inclined thereunto what vices accompany it how great a poison it is and what remedy there is for it Chap. 59. 335 Of the naturall powers of the soule and what sundry vertues they haue in the nourishment of the body of their order and offices of their agreement and necessary vse where the vegetatiue soule is placed in the body and what vertue it hath to augment the same Chap. 60. 341 What instruments the soule vseth in the body about the naturall works of nourishing and augmenting of the ventricle of stomacke and of the figure orifices and filamentes it hath of the stomacke and of what substance and nature it is of the causes of hunger and of appetite of the inferior orifice Chap. 61. 347 Of the intalles and bowels and of their names and offices of the nature of the three smaller guttes and of the other three that are greater of the instructions which wee may learne by these things Chap. 62. 353 Of the Mesentery and Mesareon of the Meseraicall veines of the Pancreas or sweete bread and of their nature and office of the liuer and of his nature and office of the rootes bodies branches of the veines of their names and vses and of the similitude betweene them and the arteries Chap. 63. 358 Of the blood and of other humours in the body of their diuersity and nature and of the agreement they haue with the elementes of the similitude that is betwixt the great garden of this great worlde and that of the little worlde touching the nourishment of things contayned and preserued in them Chap. 64. The ninth dayes worke 363 OF the vapours that ascend vp to the braine
stay or resting place vntill they be come to those places which God hath appoynted for them Plants cast their rootes downeward and their branches vpward euery one following therein his nature For a plant being to receiue his nourishment from the earth by meanes of his rootes which are vnto it in stead of mouthes and veines to sucke and draw necessary sustenance for the preseruation of it selfe sendeth them alwayes into the ground and disperseth them all about according as they can find nourishment but the stalke stocke branches and boughs which are to be nourished in the ayre alwayes disperse themselues draw and ascend vpward Beasts hauing sense doe much more shewe that liking which they haue to follow their natural inclination For we see that by their proper apprehension and appetite they are driuen hither and thither to seeke and follow after that which they desire and loue being agreeable to their nature and to flie from that which they hate as being contrary thereunto Likewise men who only of all other mortall creatures were by creation made partakers of reason haue their proper motion conuenient to their nature For being created to attaine to that soueraigne and eternall Good which is set before them in the diuine essence they haue receiued from that infinite goodnes power and vertue to wish for that Good with a desire to apply and ioyne themselues thereunto Wherefore all men are naturally pricked and driuen forward with a loue and desire tending to that Good aswell because of that naturall agreement which they haue with the same Idea of Good which is God their soules being of a celestial and immortall essence as also because this Good is of that nature that it ought to be loued of euery nature yea so much the more loued as there is greater measure of reason in the creature to know it But this desire naturally ingrafted in euery mans heart which prouoketh and keepeth men in a loue and liking of euery thing which they thinke meete to content and satisfie them and which they seeke after in diuers things as their affections lead them differeth much from that desire which by heauenly grace is planted a new in those whom God according to his good pleasure and alwaies iust wil hath chosen and elected to euerlasting happinesse and pricked forward guideth and leadeth them to that principall end for which they were created For although the other sort of men being heires of that corruption that hath ouerspread the whole nature of man by the meanes of the sinne of the first father of all be driuen forward in soule and spirit yea many times not thinking thereof to their naturall desire of obtayning that Good yet they seeke it as blind men that goe by groping but cannot find it because the darkenes of error ignorance wherewith their vnderstanding is ouerwhelmed hindreth them from looking directly towards that Good and causeth them to wander out of that only way that could lead them vnto it So that in stead of looking vnto God and to celestiall and heauenly things they stay themselues about earthly corruptible things vnto which the neerer they labor to approch the farther off they are from the end of their wishes desires For this cause the blessed Apostle saith that the natural man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But they that are illuminated and guided by heauenly and supernaturall light and whose vnderstanding is framed by the spirit of God to receiue It know then how they are carried by their proper motion to the contemplation of the true Good in the enioying whereof they shall once for euer be made partakers of a felicitie which eye neuer saw nor eare heard neither came into mans heart I meane when by dissoluing the mortall tabernacle of this body they shall be clothed with glorious immortalitie and shall see him face to face who is all in all in whome they shall be satisfied according to the doctrine of the Prophet In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore This is that my companions which ought to whet vs on to direct our sight streight to that place whereat wee ought to leuell namely to heauen and not looke to any other thing then to God who is the scope which we desire and shal one day attaine vnto Nowe if wee can not see this white so farre off and much lesse come vnto it without direction GOD is come neare vnto vs in the person of his Sonne Iesus Christ who being the brightnesse of his glory hath left vs his word for a sure guide besides so many testimonies of his prouidence and goodnesse ouer all creatures that wee daily beholde him as it were visible in them For the ruled motions of the heauens the wonderfull workemanship of so many starry tents the connexion agreement force vertue and beauty of the Elements the situation firmnesse spreading of the earth amidst the waters and so many sundry natures and creatures in this whole frame of the worlde al these things I say are so many interpreters to teach vs that God is the efficient cause of them and that he is manifested in them and by them as their final cause But the glasse wherein we may yet better beholde him is man in whome shineth and is imprinted an image of the diuine essence which is not found againe in any visible creature that is reason and vnderstanding wherof by creation he was made partaker aswel as the Angels This is the chiefe and principall work of the creation whereby God meant to giue such a being to his creatures spiritual natures to the end he might communicate his wisdom goodnes with them thereby lead them to eternal felicitie Wherefore if it be good for men to consider the works of God in his creatures and in their nature created by him and that for the reasons and ends declared by vs it is better and more necessary that they should do the same thing in their owne person nature wherein there are almost as many maruailous works of the almighty power of God as ther are in the whole frame besids and in all other creatures Therefore that sentence which saith Knowe thy selfe was not without good reason so much praised and renowmed amongst al the ancient Greeke and Latin Philosophers as that which is worthy to be taken for a heauenly oracle a sentence pronounced by the mouth of God For whosoeuer shall know himselfe well cannot faile to know God his creator and to honour him as he ought if he follow the chiefe end for which man was created as wel as the residue of the creatures Plato in his Phaedrus and in the tenth booke of Lawes searching and inquiring by the meanes of motion what was the substance nature and immortalitie of
rehearse manie moe vses if we woulde speake more particularly of this matter whereof wee meane to speake but generally as also of all the rest that concerne the anatomie of the bodie according to that ende which wee propounded to our selues in the entrie of our speeches namely to open a gappe onely to the consideration first of the matter whereof mans bodie is compounded and of the diuersitie thereof then of that forme which God hath giuen vnto it and lastly of the profit and vse of both to the ende wee might dayly learne the better to knowe the great power skill wisedome goodnesse and prouidence of him that hath created and disposed all things in so good order But as touching that which we spake of the pappes and of their substance wee haue yet to consider of two poynts well worthie the noting concerning the place where God hath seated them First they are there placed where they serue to shroude and to defend the noblest and most necessarie partes for life that are in the breast namely the heart and the lungs For they are set before them to countergard and keepe them both from ouer great heate and from excessiue colde and from many other inconueniences And as they serue for the heate of the heart so their owne heate is increased by reason they are so neere the heart whereby the milke that is ingendred in them is the better baked So that wee see that although GOD hath not giuen men pappes for the generation of milke and nourishing of children as women haue neuerthelesse they are not without profite and vse in them as wee haue hearde Whereunto also wee may adde the beautifying of that part of the bodie where they are placed especially in women Againe could they possibly be set in any place that were more fit and more easie both for Mothers and Nurses and for the children to whome they giue sucke and nourishment For if the mother bee disposed to giue her childe sucke shee hath this commoditie to sitte downe if she will to holde it in her bosome and vpon her knees and likewise to imbrace it in her armes whether she sit lye downe or stande also shee may carie it vp and downe whither shee please euen whilest shee giueth it sucke and feedeth it This commoditie is not graunted to the females of beastes when they giue sucke and nourish their little ones with their teates Wherein wee haue to marke one notable difference which GOD hath put betweene men and beastes For beastes haue no other care of their yong ones but onely to nourish their bodies with foode vntill they bee able to feede and gouerne themselues afterward both syre and damme and little ones forget one another taking no more knowledge eche of other nor louing one another more then other beastes of their kinde But amongst men both the father and the mother are caried with an affection towardes their little children which is the cause why they forget them not as beastes doe And as they loue their children so are they loued of them insomuch that there is a mutuall loue proceeding from that naturall affection which they beare one towardes another On the other side this loue causeth parents to let their children haue instruction that they may bee wise and vertuous And therefore it is not without good cause that womens pappes are placed in the breast namely to the ende they shoulde bee vnto them as signes and testimonies of the affection of the heart and of that loue which they ought to beare towardes their children whereof they ought to make them partakers aswell as of the milke of their breastes and as if they gaue vnto them their heart as they giue them their blood turned into milke Likewise children are by the selfe-same meanes to bee admonished of that mutuall affection and loue which they ought to carie towards their mothers as if they had sucked it out of their breasts and from their heart together with their milke that they may returne the like vnto them againe Wherefore mothers and children haue a wise mistres in nature and in the prouidence of God that appeareth therein if they knew how to followe it well Againe for this cause mothers ought to take greater delight in nourishing their owne children then in committing them to the handes of strangers and hyred Nurses For out of doubt the mutuall affection and loue of eche to other woulde greatly increase thereby Nowe hauing spoken of the place which God hath assigned to the pappes let vs consider his prouidence in their forme which is such that fayrer and more fitte for that office of theirs coulde not bee deuised For wee see howe they hang there in the breast of the mother and Nurse as it were two bottles hauing nipples and holes made fit for the infants mouth that hee might take holde of them and drawe and sucke the milke that is within the dugges which are filled presently after the child is borne so that hee is no sooner come into the worlde but hee hath such foode and nourishment readie drest as is meete for him For albeit the infant bringeth his teeth with him from his mothers wombe yet because they are hidde within the gummes and are not yet come foorth hee must haue such meate as needeth no chewing but may bee sucked which GOD hath prouided for him Wherein wee haue a woonderfull testimonie of the care hee hath ouer vs and what kinde of Father and cherisher hee is For this cause Dauid had good reason to say Out of the mouth of babes and suckelings hast thou ordeyned strength because of thine enemies For if one consider the prouidence of God which dayly sheweth it selfe ouer children onely there is no Atheist Epicure or other enemie of God so great which shall not bee confounded conuinced and constrayned will hee nill hee to giue glorie to GOD. For before children can speake euen from their mothers breastes they shewe foorth and preache the prouidence of God in prouiding milke for them But wee shall finde it a matter of greater admiration if wee consider not onely in what manner they are nourished presently after their birth but also howe they are nourished in their mothers wombe For there they are not sustayned by the mouth nor with milke as they are after their byrth but with their mothers owne blood receiued by the Nauill which is in the middest of the bodie But God hath made such an agreement betweene the wombe in which the little childe is nourished in his mothers belly and betwixt her breasts that that blood wherewith the Infant was feede before it was borne presently after the birth ascendeth into her pappes in which by reason of the aboade it maketh there it becommeth white and is so well heated and prepared that it hath as conuenient and pleasant a taste as can be put into the infants mouth And as for the substance of the milke there cannot be any
hath not giuen it to any of them but to him only by that he hath put a difference betweene him the beasts as also by reason and vnderstanding whereof he hath made him partaker in respect wherof he hath giuen him speech which is as naturall vnto him as reason which is the spring head thereof and from whence it proceedeth as a riuerfrom his fountaine For how could men make known their counsailes thoughts without speech And what good should they receiue by that sense vnderstanding which God hath giuen them more theÌ„ to beasts if they had no more speech then they haue wherby to make it known And to what purpose would speech serue them if they knew not what to say And what should they haue to speake if they had no more vnderstaÌ„ding reason then other liuing creatures haue Were it not sufficient then to haue a coÌ„fused voice only as they haue Therfore also we see how God hath ioined these twothings together graunting speech vnto man because hee hath created him paâ—taker of reason and vnderstanding And hauing depriued beasts of the one hee hath also depriued them of the other so that they are partakers neither of reason nor speech For this cause Ecclesiasticus hath ioyned these things together saying That God hath giuen to men counsell and tongue and eyes eares and an heart to vnderstand and sixtly he gaue them a spirite and seuenthly he gaue them speech to declare his woorkes Hee filled them with knowledge of vnderstanding and shewed them good and euill Whereby he teacheth vs plainly what is the right true vse of speech to what end it is giuen to man and from whence it springeth For he placeth counsell in the first place and next the tongue Againe after the heart and spirite he placeth speech that we might know who is their messenger Whereupon we may conclude that the one is giuen for the other and both to glorifie God by shewing foorth his works and marueilous actes To which effect Basil the great saith very well that God hath created vs and graunted vs the vse of speech to the end we might haue the ability and meanes to lay open one to another the counsels and thoughtes of our heartes and to distribute amongst vs that which is in euery one by reason of that communicable nature in which we are created For the heart ought to bee in man as a secrete treasurie or as a larder or pantry in a house out of which all things necessary for the vse thereof and for the maintenaunce of the whole familie are dayly taken The heart also is like to a seller or garner wherein counsels and thoughts are locked and closed vp and the tongue is like to the steward who draweth out and dispenseth whatsoeuer is to bee distributed For as wee saide in the beginning of our speech our soule vseth thoughts and discourses which cannot bee declared so long as it is inclosed in this tabernacle of flesh without speech wordes and names by meanes of which she bringeth foorth and publisheth that which was inclosed and hidden in the secrete closet of her vnderstanding And so wee say that there are two kindes of speech in man one internall and of the minde the other externall which is pronounced and is the messenger of the internall that speaketh in the heart Therefore that which is framed in voyce pronounced in speech and brought into vse is as a riuer sent from the thought with the voyce as from his fountaine For before the thought can vtter any outward speech by meanes of the voyce first the minde must receiue the images of things presented vnto it by the corporall senses And then hauing receiued them by the imaginatiue vertue that is in it reason must discourse to knowe and to consider of them well and to separate or ioyne things according to that agreement or difference that concorde or discord which they may haue amongst them Next it is necessary that iudgement should follow this discourse to make choise of and to followe that which it shall iudge to be meete and conuenient and to reiect and shunne the contrary Lastly all must be vttered by significations apt and conuenient for euery thing so that when the minde hath giuen ouer to the office of the vocall instruments that which it hath comprised and resolued vpon in manner aforesaid the same is manifestly declared outwardly by the aire framed into voyce I meane by the moouing of the articulate and distinct voice whereas before it was hid and couered Now when this voice and speach is pronounced with the mouth as it is inuisible to the eyes so it hath no body whereby the hands may take hold of it but is insensible to all the senses except the hearing which neuerthelesse cannot lay hold of it or keepe it fast as it were with griping hands but entring in of it selfe it is so long detained there whilest the sound reboundeth in the eares and then vanisheth away suddenly But albeit the sound and the voyce passeth so sodainely as if presently it flew away hauing respect to the outward speech neuerthelesse the internall speach remaineth not onely in the spirite heart and thought that ingendred it not being in any sort diuided cut off or seperated but also it filleth all the hearers by reason of the agreement that is betweene the spirites and mindes of men and the speach that is bred there and because it differeth not much from the minde and from the thought where it first beganne and was bred And thus the thoughtes and counsailes of the minde and spirite are discouered and manifested by speach So that al voice is not speach For the name of voyce generally taken comprehendeth all sounds and things which bring any noise to the eares Neuerthelesse it is more properly and specially attributed to those sounds which all sortes of liuing creatures are able to make with their throat to signifie any thing therby But man onely hath articulate and well distinguished soundes vnto which birdes of all other beastes approch neerest so that euen many of them are taught in some sort to frame mans voyce but it is without vnderstanding And because that instruments of musicke do after a sort imitate the distinct voyce of men wee attribute voyce to them although the sounds which they make be more without iudgement and vnderstanding then that of beasts But in men voyces framed into wordes are signes and significations of the whole soule and minde both generally and specially namely of the fantasie and imagination of reason and iudgement of vnderstanding and memory of will and affections Wherefore it is an easie matter to iudge by his speach howe all these partes are affected namely whether they bee sound or haue any defect in them For if a man be dull witted or haue his fantasie and imagination troubled and his memory slowe and heauy he shall haue much adoe to speake
that which he thinketh and conceiueth in mind and haue as we vse to say but a bad vtterance Which thing also may happen to good wits either for want of exercise and vse or through some defect that may be in the body or in the instruments of the voice or because the matter whereof they speake may be profound obscure and difficult so that a man cannot easily find words fitly to expresse the nature of it as the woorthinesse thereof requireth Which reason oft entimes maketh wise and skilfull men slowe to speake because they know what a hard matter it is to vtter in good sort that which is to be spoken in so much that they had rather keepe silence then speake ill or vnproperly But a light-head and a cocke-braine that is void of this consideration wil thinke hee hath a more ready wit For he wil speake before he ponder or discourse in his minde So that whosoeuer hath not a ripe and stayed reason nor temperate and setled senses hee can not haue his wordes set in good order nor his speaches well knit and agreeing one with another as we haue example heereof in children and fooles And if a man haue reason and iudgement ready at hand but not stayed and pithy hee may well prooue some great babbling pleader but not eloquent For hee onely is to bee accompted eloquent who can conceiue well in his spirite and minde that which he ought to speake and then is able to expresse it well both by apt wordes and by sentences that are well tied and knit together We see then how the voyce and speach of man lay open his whole heart minde and spirite But the voyces of beasts haue no significations but onely affections I meane such as are in men and which the Grammarians call Interiections because they are not framed into speach nor well distinguished as others are Nowe if wee vnderstand all these things well they may help very much to instruct and confirme vs in the doctrine of the Trinitie of persons of the Vnitie of the Godhead and of the eternall generation of the Sonne of God who is his diuine and euerlasting word Likewise they will cause vs to conceiue more easily how this heauenly and eternall word namely Iesus Christ is the Image and Character of God the expresse and ingraued forme of his person as it is in the Epistle to the Hebrews and not in shadow or painting For the glorie maiestie and vertue of the Father is alwaies hid from vs but only so farre foorth as it sheweth it selfe ingraued in his sonne and in his word as the image of the minde appeareth imprinted and ingrauen in the speach that is vttered And as the internall word bred in the minde departeth not from it neither is seperated and yet it imprinteth an image thereof in the mindes of the hearers to whom it is declared so the diuine and eternall worde begotten of the Father is alwayeâ— resident in God and yet imprinteth his image in the heartes and mindes of men to whome it is manifested by those meanes which hee hath appointed for that purpose Thus you see a gappe laide open into these high and great secrets of God which wee ought to marke well following such phrases of speach as are taken from humane things and vsed by the spirit of God in the holy scriptures to the end wee might more easily vnderstand them Wherefore if there were no other reason this were sufficient to induce vs to consider more diligently the excellent worke and great prouidence of God which appeareth in the framing of the voyce and speach of man and in the nature and vse thereof and in those members and instrumentes of the bodie which serue to that purpose Therefore AMANA let this matter be the subiect of thy discourse Of the agreement which the instruments of the voyce and speach haue with a paire of Organes what thinges are to bee considered in the placing of the lungs next the heart of the pipes and instruments of the voyce Chap. 14. AMANA When we consider diligently all the instruments created by God in the body as well for the ministery of the voyce as of speach we shall finde amongst them all thinges requisite in the best and most perfect instrument of musicke that can bee to make a good harmony and we shall know that no Organs are so wel made or disposed in such good order for the compassing of their sound and melody as the instruments of the voyce and speach of man are And by the consideration of this concordance wee are admonished alwayes to haue the same thing in the mouth which wee haue in the thought to the end that from such an agreement as it were in euerie part of an Organ and of an instrument of musicke there should proceede a good harmony and pleasant melody For if there shoulde be discord betweene the heart the tongue and the speach the harmony could not be good especially before God the Iudge of most secret thoughts no more then the harmony of a musicall instrument quite out of tune would be pleasant in the eares of men namely of good Musicions who can iudge best of concords and discords First then wee must note that the breast necke and head are as it were the instrument and the body of the Organs within which they are put and inclosed and by which they are sustained next that the lungs are as it were their bellows to blow them Therefore it is made of two pieces ioyned together like to a paire of bellowes to drawe in and to thrust forth the aire and to helpe eche other in respiration and breathing Wherein we must call to minde howe needeful it was that the backebone and breast and the building of the ribbes shoulde bee framed in that sort that we heard before that they might serue to this vse make roome for these bellows to inlarge themselues and to do their duetie Wee see also what their nature is what motion they haue and from whence they receiue it For God hath created them of that nature that they moue and remoue of themselues by the vertue of the soule and life in the body without which they woulde bee voyde of motion and coulde not do their office as we see in dead bodies And because the lungs are the bellowes that blowe winde into the instruments of the voyce without which it coulde not bee made therefore they are lodged next to the heart so that they couer it to this end that men should be admonished that their voyce and their speach is the messenger of their heart and that for this cause the heart and the mouth and the voice and speach which proceede from them alwayes ought to consent and agree together For it would be great dissolutenesse if the heart which ought to be the originall and fountaine of the speach should thinke one thing and the speach which is the messenger of the
Such are the fruits of an vnbridled tong that is misled ill gouerned as coÌ„trariwise it is an excellent treasure in man when it is moderated vsed wisely and soberly and in time and place conuenient as need requireth For al these things God giueth vs good instructions in the matter and composition of this member For first he doth not content himselfe in giuing to man but one only tong for so many offices as are assigned vnto it whereas many other members are double and yet serue chiefly but for one thing but also hath made it tender soft and pleasant tied it fast with many bands as it were so many small cords and threeds to restraine and bridle it to the end it should not runne ouer or be too forward and that it should not bring forth bitternes in steade of sweetenes nor pricke hurt any body Therefore it is made blunt on euery side not sharpe or forked like to the stings of scorpions other venimous beasts Moreoure it hath the gummes and teeth with which it is enuironed and closed in on euery side as it were with a quick-set with a strong rampire to keep it fast shut within the bounds limits therof as it were within a caue Besides it hath lips as it were gates to open vnto it or to shut it vp and muzzel it lest it should take too much licence Therefore seeing God doth gard the tong so on euery side he giueth men to vnderstand that they ought not to abuse it and teacheth them what care they ought to haue of this litle member seeing that of al the outward meÌ„bers none is so hid couered coÌ„passed about locked vp with such a naturall couering inclosure as that is And to end our speach we know that wheÌ„ the heart mind which ought to be the guides gouernors of the tongue shal be reformed in puritie and true knowledge of God by his grace there wil be nothing but good speach all truth in the tongue to the setting forth of the glory of his diuine Maiesty and to the profit of euery one according to the duetie of true charitie But if the mind and heart be euill and blinded with errour and ignorance they will bring forth like fruits and speeches Nowe hauing discorused at large of the first office of the tongue which consisteth in framing of the speach we must consider of the other two vses thereof which are in tasting in preparing meat that is chewed in the mouth for the nurishment of the body Therefore thou shalt begin Achitob to discourse of these two offices of those instrumeÌ„ts which serue the tongue to this purpose Of the office of the tongue intasting and in preparing meate for the nourishment of the body of teeth and of their nature and office of the conduite or pipe that receiueth and swalloweth downe mâ—â—tes Chap. 16. ACHITOB. The more we consider the worke and prouidence of God in the composition of mans body the more wee shall maruaile at it and daily finde therein new matter and occasion to glorifie his name Before we considered therof as of the frame of a house now we shal see it as it were a towne or city that hath Milles Ouens and Artificers of all arts occupations And which is more wonderful we shall perceiue such industry in many of the members that oftentimes one alone will serue for many offices for the due performance whereof mans reason woulde require many members and yet God hath so well prouided therefore that one alone doeth better discharge them and with lesse trouble then many together could doe Which may euidently be knowen by those vses and offices of the tongue whereof we are yet to intreate One and that the chiefest reason why the tongue is fitly placed in the head neere the braine was declared vnto vs in the former speach now we must note others especially why it is necessary that it shoulde be in the mouth as likewise in the head For the tongue could not haue satisfied any one office committed vnto it if it had bene placed barely and openly in the face as the eyes nose or eares are And seeing it was requisite to haue it couered it could haue no better couering then the mouth as may be prooued by many reasons The first is that seeing it is the instrument of speach which must be holpen by many other partes to haue it well framed as we heard before it was to be lodged in a place where it might haue neare at hand all instruments needefull for that seruice Nowe this vse of speach is proper to the tongue of man onely and not to that of brute beasts but to the other twaine following are common to man with beasts namely the sense of taste for which God hath appointed both that and the palat for which cause it was requisit also that it shoulde be neare the braine and in the head as the other instruments and members of the senses are as also in the place appointed for this preparation of bodily foode For it must first iudge of tastes discerne between good bad meat and betweene good and bad drinkes to the end that whatsoeuer is good for the nourishment of the body may be kept and that which is bad reiected and that afterward which is the last office it may help the teeth mouth to chew the meat and so to swallow it down For the iawes and teeth are as it were the stones of the mill which serue to prepare the meate for all the body Wherefore as there are two stones in euery mill namely one beneath which abideth alwaies stedfast and turneth no way and another aboue which alwayes turneth about to bruze and grind the graines of wheat that are between them so in the mil of mans body there are two iawes like to two milstones of which the one is alwayes firme and the other mooueth But there is this difference betweene these and milstones that the neather iawe onely mooueth which is true not onely in man but also in all other liuing creatures except in the Crocodile who in this poynt quite differeth from all other liuing creatures that haue iawes and teeth Nowe God hath so appointed this motion of the milstones of mans body not without good reason For seeing the braine is so neare and that there are so many goodly members in the head aboue the vpper most iawe-bone it were to be feared that the continuall and great moouing thereof would shake them and bring them into some inconuenience And that the iawes might bruze and breake whatsoeuer is put betweene them as the stones of the mill grinde the graines of corne the teeth are planted in them to serue them in this worke And in steade of winde or water which driue artificiall milles about this naturall mill of which we speake hath his muscles and sinewes to mooue it and to set it
it is as it were begotten by reason and brought forth by Will But that wee deceiue not our selues in these names of reason and of Will we are to knowe that both of them are taken diuersly as the names of Minde and Vnderstanding are For sometime they are taken for that vertue of vnderstanding which is in the soule and sometime for the action thereof and the thing which it doeth vnderstand as when we say that wee haue the vnderstanding of something So reason is sometime taken for the minde that giueth direction and counsaile and for the will which obeyeth it and restraineth the affections and in this sence it comprehendeth both the Vnderstanding and the Will But sometime it is taken onely for that part which vnderstandeth and hath knowledge to conduct and guide as nowe we must so take it in making it the Mistresse and counsailour of the Will Besides reason is also taken oftentimes for the arguments and discourses of reason as when we say of a man He hath good reason in that or els He hath proued his saying by good and pregnant reasons that is to say by good arguments And if we take reason so it signifieth not only that power and vertue of discoursing which is in the soule and in the minde but also the act and effect therof The like may be said of this word Will. For it is commonly taken not so much for that power and vertue which the soule hath to Will as for the Will it selfe which is the action and effect thereof as when one speaking of tyrants saith that their Will is all their reason For then we meane that they take nor Reason for their counsailer neither follow the aduice thereof but onely their Will and that which pleaseth them So then wee vse this worde Will for that which proceedeth from it and so likewise it is often taken in the holy Scriptures when they speake of the Will of God whereby we doe not vnderstand that power of Will that is in him but that which hee willeth and commandeth vs. And therefore we craue that his Will may be done and not that which we will But speaking now of the Will of man we take it not in this sence but we vse it for the power and vertue of Willing that is in the soule which power is aboue the sensitiue appetite whereof we haue already spoken For we see by experience that there are certaine degrees of appetites and that the appetite of the senses is subiect to the Will as I hope we shall intreate more at large in the sequele of our speech Wherefore the Will is the highest and most soueraigne vertue of desiring farre aboue all other appetites and that which woorketh with libertie after the minde hath shewed vnto it what it ought to follow and what to eschew what to make choyse of and what to refuse The actions thereof are to Will and not to Will and the meane or middle thing which shee hath betweene them twayne is to suspend her action vntill shee decline eyther on the one side or the other And as concerning the naturall disposition of the Will it is to will that good which is truely good or that which seemeth to bee so and to shunne euill eyther that which is euill in deede or that which it thinketh to bee so Nowe if shee choose and followe euill for good it followeth not therefore but that shee woulde alwayes followe the good as that which properly appertayneth vnto her and reiect euill as her enemie But the reason why shee maketh choyce of euill for good is because shee is deceiued taking one for another which commeth to passe through the ignoraunce and corruption that is in the nature of man For albeeit shee can will and not will that thing which is propounded vnto her yet shee cannot simply will and not will one and the same thing all at one time nor yet make choyse of cleane contraries For shee can desire nothing but onely vnder some shewe of good nor refuse any thing but vnder some shewe of euill Wherefore it may well bee that it will not desire that which shall bee shewed vnder some appearaunce of good but it cannot hate or reiect it Likewise it may peraduenture abstayne from reiecting or flying from that which shall bee presented before it with shewe of euill and not of good but it cannot desire loue and pursue the same Wherevpon it followeth that our Will is at libertie and free and cannot bee constrayned yea God the Creatour and Lorde thereof woulde haue it so otherwise it shoulde not bee a Will It is verie true that it followeth reason alwayes because the Will hath no light of it selfe but onely so farre foorth as it receiueth the same from reason which guideth and directeth it And therefore it neuer applieth it selfe to any thing whatsoeuer but hath reason alwayes for a guide whome it followeth Neuerthelesse it is not so subiect therevnto as that it may compell it to followe all the reasons that are propounded vnto it by reason or tye it to any of them but that alwayes shee hath her libertie to make choyse of which reason shee please out of all those that are set before her And so it is alwayes a Will although it change sometime beeing perswaded by reasons to will when it was vnwilling or disswaded from Will to bee vnwilling But in the meane time shee willeth whatsoeuer shee will and that as long as it pleaseth her to remayne in one opinion For not onely no creature whatsoeuer is able to take from her that which GOD her Creator hath giuen her but shee cannot depriue her selfe thereof no more then she may not be that which shee is For as God will haue his image shine in the minde of man by vnderstanding and wisedome of which hee hath made it partaker so hee will haue his image also to shine in the Will by that freedome and libertie which hee hath giuen vnto it As therefore hee cannot bee constrained but woorketh and doeth what pleaseth him with all libertie as beeyng a Soueraigne that hath no superiour so hee hath appoynted that the Will which hee hath giuen to men and Angels shoulde bee alwayes franke and free and not bee subiect to violence or constraint to the ende hee might haue them children not slaues because hee requireth of them a voluntarie obedience and such a seruice as is not forced or constrayned but agreeable to his owne nature For as hee doeth nothing himselfe by constraint so hee will not constrayne those by whome hee will bee obeyed neither delighteth hee in any seruice that is not voluntary and proceeding from a good heart and from a sincere and pure affection towardes him Therefore seeing God hath so loued vs and done vs so great honour as to create vs after his owne image and likenesse wee are vile and ingratefull wretches if wee doe not acknowledge the same and cause
our Will to be seruiceable to him that hath bestowed it freely vpon vs as wee ought also to perfourme the like seruice vnto him with our minde and reason wherewith he hath endued vs for the ruling and direction of the Will But when our Will taketh any other obiect beside obedience to God it proceedeth from the same cause that blindeth our minde and reason namely sinne which reigneth in vs through the corruption of our nature as wee haue already touched it Neuertheles that which I haue said is alwaies true that the wil hath Good in such sort for her obiect that she cannot truly without dissembling Will that which is euil if it hath no shew or reason of some good But notwithstanding she hath free libertie yet is shee so ordeyned of God that shee cannot will that which is euill but onely that which is good whether it bee good in trueth or in opinion onely For if shee were not created and ordayned of GOD to desire and followe after good there woulde bee no cause why she shoulde loue or desire vertue more then vice or loue God rather then hate him But wee must consider diuers degrees in the actions of Will and in the freedome theereof For some there are whose heart and Will agree so together that there is no dissimulation neither any commaundement of the Will eyther towardes it selfe or towardes any other but it heartily desireth or refuseth that which it seeketh after or escheweth As we may say of an ambitious man that hee doeth truely and with all his heart desire honour and glorie as also a couetous man doeth riches But there are other actions of the Will wherein she commaundeth her selfe or els the inferiour powers that are subiect vnto her as wee see in a man infected with the dropsie who beeing verie drye and thirstie desireth greatly to drinke But this appetite that commeth from the senses of the bodie is restrayned by the Will that hath power ouer it which knowing what hurt would issue thereof to the sicke partie commandeth this appetite and appoynteth that hee shall not drinke The reason why she will haue it so is to the ende that the patient might auoyde greater euill then that which hee endureth knowing well that to drinke woulde hurt him more then helpe him because the thirstinesse woulde not bee taken from him but encreased Wherefore although the sensuall appetite putteth the patient in minde to desire drinke yet Will following the iudgement of Reason opposeth it selfe against this appetite and commaundeth it selfe to abstain also the outward members as namely the mouth not to drink and the handes not to giue it any drinke Now if it so fall out that the Will giue place to the appetite it is alwayes with her consent and that because shee agreeth rather vnto the sensuall appetite then vnto Reason Which agreement proceedeth of her impatiencie and incontinencie because she hath not patience to stay for the better but rusheth vpon that pleasure which at that present seemeth best vnto her and neerest at hand Therfore it is alwayes requisite that the grace of God should gouerne our minde and will to perswade them euermore to counsaile and to imbrace the best otherwise wee shall make choyce of the worst and of euill rather then of good Which we shall easily vnderstand if we consider what good things the wisest and most vertuous men guided only by the light of nature are able to propound to themselues and to follow and what difference in that poynt there is betwixt them and those whome God doeth guide and gouerne by his spirite The discourse then of this matter belongeth to thee ARAM. Of those good things which both men guided onely by the light of nature are able to propound to themselues and to follow and they also that are guided by the spirite of God of the power and libertie of the Will in her actions both externall and internall Chap. 35. ARAM. Among the heathen Philosophers there haue alwayes beene some great personages endued with excellent doctrine who seemed to haue bene led with a burning affection towards good and vertuous things this no man can deny But if we compare them that haue had none but naturall light with them who beleeuing the worde of life haue receiued that light which the spirite of GOD hath kindeled in their heartes and mindes wee shall finde very great difference betwixt them For they that followe the light of nature take not an infinite spirituall and eternall good which is God for the obiect of that good which they desire but a finite carnall and temporarie good and that also no farther then their reason and sense iudge it good for mankinde or for the societie of men or for themselues and those whome they loue The like respect they haue in eschewing euill which they iudge contrary to such a good And yet there are very fewe that goe so farre who giue not themselues to vertue rather for their owne profite or glorie then for the loue they beare to vertue or to the benefite of the common societie of men And surely I thinke that if glorie had not more mooued so many excellent men as haue beene heeretofore among the Grecians Latines and other heathen people and nations then their loue to vertue and to thinges profitable for the common wealth they woulde not willingly haue incurred so great dangers to effect so many valiant deedes as Histories specifie of them neyther woulde they haue set vertue at so high a price if no glorie or profite shoulde haue redounded to them in following her or at leastwise in seeming to seeke after her If any haue beene founde to haue done otherwise as wee reade of some it is to bee attributed to a speciall grace that God hath bestowed vpon them in their ignorance more then to others But yet all this would bee nothing or very litle seeing the good which the Will propoundeth to it selfe and pursueth in this sort is not the true and soueraigne good which of it selfe is able to make men blessed Wee are then to knowe that the wisest and most vertuous men guided onely by the light of naturall reason doe not propounde to themselues nor seeke after any other good then that which consisteth in ciuill honestie in worldly honour and glorie in this bodily life and in the commodities thereof and in those delightes and pleasures which their humane sense and reason desire according as some delight eyther in the knowledge of thinges or in ciuill and morall vertues or in honours or in riches and in such like thinges Yea the best that euer were among the Heathen and the wisest of this worlde that are like vnto them neuer went farther neyther in deede coulde For seeing they knowe not GOD truely they can neither loue him nor seeke after him either because they are not throughly perswaded that there is a God or if they bee sure of that yet
they stand doubtfull what he is whether he haue care of men or no and whether he heare and helpe them when they call vpon him And if they be in aduersity then they loue him much lesse For if they thinke that their miseries come from their owne nature or at all aduenture they suppose they are not bounde vnto him neither ought to loue him seeing hee hath prouided no better for their affayres And if they thinke that himselfe doeth sende them because of their sinnes they are so farre from louing him that contrariwise they hate him and storme against him as it is most manifest by infinite blasphemies contayned in the bookes of Heathen Poets Historiographers and Philosophers aswell against God as against his prouidence iudgements and all his woorkes when they fell not out to their lyking Nowe if their Vnderstanding was so blinded in the Knowledge of God their Will was much turned out of the way For it is alwayes like to a shippe carried hither and thither by diuers tempests which seeketh still some hauen to arriue at but can finde none So the Will seeking after the good which it desireth runneth and skippeth from one to another without order and can finde no rest except that heauenly light shine into the minde which may teach it the true good and frame it to the seeking and imbracing thereof Therefore when this light is in the spirite of man it first presenteth to the Will that infinite good namely God in whom alone shee may satisfie her selfe and then all other good thinges that depende of that all which shee desireth euery one in his order Thus shall God haue the first place and the next his creatures all which wee ought to loue so farre foorth as hee hath created them and so consequently are good And if wee place God in the highest degree of loue as the soueraigne good with whose loue we ought to be as it were wholly swallowed vp wee will loue nothing but in him and by him and for his sake and consequently we will desire nothing but according to his Will because wee can Will or desire nothing but that which wee shall loue and wee shall loue nothing but that which wee ought to loue neither with any other affection nor to any other ende Which is the proper effect of the spirite of God in them that are regenerated and guided by him And thus when the darkenesse of our minde is driuen out by light from heauen which is brought vnto it by Iesus Christ and the Will inflamed by the holy Ghost then doe our heartes reioyce in the goodnesse of God and our conscience resteth therein then doe we loue him and beginne to obey him not desiring any other thing Therefore we beseech him to guide gouern vs to reforme vs daily more more after his own image and similitude to the end we may be made conformable to him both in mind will become true temples for him to dwel in And whatsoeuer he sendeth vs whether it be prosperity or aduersity we take and receiue al as from his hād giuing him thanks in prosperity not abusing or extolling our selues against him and calling vpon him in aduersity without murmuring or despiting his maiesty which we adore alwaies whether we vnderstand comprehend his iudgements or no. Likewise we are led by him to loue all good things according to that order which is shewed vnto vs by his heauenly wisdome namely other men made after the image of God as we are those vertues life things that are agreeable vnto him desiring thē for the loue of God knowing that we serue him in the lawful vse of all these things yeelding praises and thanks vnto him as to the author creator of them Neuertheles it cōmeth to passe that we see oftentimes a very great confusion in the maners works euen of the holiest best men that may be but that is whē God withdraweth from them his spirite grace although it be neuer so litle a while or when he doth not manifest shew forth his vertue power in thē For without God we can doe nothing through him nothing is impossible vnto vs. It is very certain that there remaineth alwaies natural infirmity corruption in man and that the mind reason memory may be troubled by the affections of the heart which resēbleth a fiery surnce is like to a thick smoke ascending out of a great fire which would dim the eies make them as it were blind And whē the light of the mind is thus darkned reason cānot discourse so wel nor iudgement iudge so vprightly nor memory retaine so firmly or bring forth so readily that which it hath kept as if none of them were thus hindred with darknesse which compasseth about the light that ought to guide thē Now if there be such a let impedimēt in regard of the mind the Wil is much more troubled by this fire of affections that heateth kindleth it whereby it is made a great deale more vntoward to follow the counsel aduise of reason then reason is wel affected to admonish and counsel it in that which is to be followed or to be fled And when these two principal parts powers of the soule are thus troubled and moued it is no maruel if man forget God himself if with al his soule body he turn aside from that which he ought to follow after As cōtrariwise there is no doubt but that as long as the celestial eternal father disperseth his diuine light into our minds by his sonne who is his eternal word and wisedome preparing them by his holy spirit to receaue the same and by this meanes also kindeleth the heart and Will with the heate thereof disposing and framing them to follow this light no doubt I say but there will ensue a good agreement and great conformitie of the minde and heart of the Reason and Will and of all the affections yea of all the senses and members of man But let vs return to the sequele of our speech which hath an especiall respect vnto the Will we haue then to consider more narrowly of the power and freedome of the Will both in her internall and externall actions For the first if the question bee of deliberating about any thing it is in the choyce of the Will to propound the same to the minde to aduise and consult thereupon or otherwise not to propounde the same vnto it After whilest the matter is in deliberation she may command eyther to prosecute the same or to deferre it to some other time or to giue it ouer quite and to turne the minde to some other thing as it were a Prince among his councell And if the consultation bee finished and sentence giuen by iudgement yet may the will stay it selfe from desiring and following after that which is counselled and iudged to bee good by reason
Therefore he hath giuen them a nature that is partaker of Vnderstanding and prescribed vnto them rules of iudgement and of certain knowledge which are vnto them as it were lawes ordained by a soueraigne Prince for the ruling of his subiectes And to the end that these lawes should not be in vaine he hath placed in man a Will to execute them and an affection of ioy that is brought to him by meanes of the good which he receiueth or expecteth when he obeyeth these lawes that command nothing but iust things So that hee would haue the nature of man to leade a ioyfull life and by this meanes be preserued that he might solace himselfe in the knowledge of God his Creator and in obeying him settle and rest himself in him As contrariwise it pleased him to place there an affection of sadnesse to take vengeance of rebellion against his lawes and of the transgression of them to the end there might be a flame of anger and griefe to destroy that nature when it doeth not conforme it selfe to the rule of his diuine wisedome and will Hereby we know by experience what difference there is betweene a ioyfull life and that which is sad full of griefe and how ioy preserueth and maintaineth the one and sorow consumeth and extinguisheth the other But to the end we may fully vnderstand these thinges and bee able to iudge aright of the diuers powers vertues and offices of the soule wee must diligently consider that as GOD hath distinguished the Vnderstanding from the Will and affections and the Animall vertue and life from the Vitall so also hee hath giuen them diuers seates and instrumentes in the bodie There is likewise great difference betwixt Vnderstanding and Knowledge and the Will and Affections as we see it by experience in common life For it falleth out often that after we know a man we either loue him or hate him And if at the first we loued him wel yet after hee is knowen vnto vs we may fall to hate him or if wee first hated him afterward vpon better knowledge we may receiue him into our loue Nowe although these affections of loue and of hatred bee thus mutable in vs yet the selfe same knowledge remayneth alwayes with vs. For if wee did not still knowe him wee coulde neyther loue nor hate him because as a man cannot loue without knowing the thing loued so hee cannot hate that which is vnknowen Therefore it is no difficult matter to iudge that the Vnderstanding differeth from the Will and affections and that they are distinct offices and seuerall properties and vertues of the soule which haue also their diuers seates and instrumentes For the internall senses are ioyned with that power which the Soule hath to knowe and the heart with the power of the Will and Affections Heereof it is that wee see manie endued with great knowledge of honest and vertuous thinges but they haue no good affection to followe after them and to put them in practise so that their heart agreeth not with their braine nor their will and affections with their vnderstanding reason Contrariwise there are others that haue not so great knowledge of goodnes and of their duetie and yet they haue a good affection and Will to do wel but for want of vnderstanding what is right and iust they obserue and keepe it not according to that measure of desire which is in them Where wee see againe how and in what sort there is no good agreement betweene the brayne and the heart and betweene those powers and vertues of the soule which wee haue alreadie named So that wee may compare the former sort of men to one that hath eyes to guide him but no legges or feete to goe vpon or if hee haue any yet hee will not set them on woorke As for the other sort they are like to blinde men that long to goe and to walke and haue legges to carrie them but they cannot goe whither they woulde because they haue neyther eyes nor sight to direct them nor guides to leade them Nowe by the consideration of these two sortes of men wee may well conclude and iudge with ourselues what they are that want all these thinges mentioned by vs because they haue neyther sounde knowledge of the trueth and of that which is good nor Will and desire to haue any nor any affection to followe that which is good whome I woulde compare to them that are blind and withal haue both hand and feete lame at one time But this matter may yet bee vnderstoode better if wee make this our speeche to agree with that which Saint Paul wryteth to the Romanes where hee sayeth That the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men which withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse For wee may vnderstande by trueth those true and naturall impressions of the knowledge of GOD and of his lawe and of good and honest thinges which are in men as beames of the diuine wisedome shining in that part of the soule whereby hee knoweth But because the Will and the affections of the heart agree not with this knowledge and there are no diuine motions nor celestiall flames to stirre vp and to kindle the heart with the loue of God and to procure it to followe after that knowledge therefore men are detayned in vnrighteousnesse and yeelde not vnto God that honour and obedience that they owe vnto him Wherein they shew themselues vnthankefull and vnrighteous And therefore the Apostle expounding himselfe saieth by and by after That when they knewe God they glorified him not as God neither were thankefull but became vaine in their imagination and their heart voyde of vnderstanding was full of darknesse Whereby hee declareth that their ingratitude and naughty heart was the cause why they abused that vnderstanding and knowledge which they had receiued of God and afterward also he depriued them of these excellent gifts of his grace which he attributeth to the heart for certaine reasons which wee are to note For wee may see in many places of the Scripture and in their writings and exhortations that folowe the doctrine and stile thereof that the heart is often taken for the seate of the minde of the vnderstanding and of reason as well as for the affections of the soule Neuerthelesse the Philosophers and they that followe them in such discourses attribute these soueraigne powers of the soule onely to the braine which they make the seate of them as wee haue sufficiently shewed heeretofore and as for the affections of the soule they assigne the seate of them to the heart Now one body hath not two but one soule Therefore although it haue many faculties powers vertues and offices yet they are all comprehended vnder those two and depend of them euen as in one body there are many members appointed to diuers operations Nowe because reason ought to be the Gouernesse and Mistresse
of the affections it is necessary they shoulde agree together For as reason guideth before the affections will followe after Therefore wee may alwayes iudge of reason by the affections which it ought to gouerne as of the gouernement of a good Prince by the estate of his subiects of a good father of a family by those of his houshold Moreouer seeing the affections proceede from the heart there is the seate of that loue which wee ought to beare as well towardes God as towardes men which comprehendeth the whole lawe of God and all iustice For he that loueth God is not onely afraide to offend and displease him but desireth also to serue please him and he that loueth his neighbour doeth not onely abstaine from procuring him any dishonour or losse but laboureth also to aduance his honour and profit Therefore if the minde be lightened and inflamed with diuine light and the reason also that ruleth therein then the heart will waxe hote and burne with the loue of God and of his neighbour Which if it fall out so the heart will not be slacke in shewing foorth those heauenly motions that are within it in giuing matter to the soule to glorifie God and to the tongue and mouth which will speake out of the abundance thereof Likewise there will be an accord and consent betweene it and the voyce and tongue which then will vtter nothing but the trueth And this is the cause of that which wee were taught before namely that God by his prouidence and wise counsaile hath ioyned neere vnto the heart the chiefe instrument of the voyce which is the lungs as the other instruments that are higher are lodged neere to the braine and cheefely the tongue as the Oratours and Embassadours of Kings are placed next vnto them Wherefore if mans nature had not beene corrupted through sinne but had continued perfect and sound there woulde alwayes haue beene a goodly concord and consent betweene the heart and the braine the voice and the tongue the reason and the affections Next wee must note that seeing the heart is the first member of the whole body that receiueth life and thē giueth the same to others as also the last that leaueth life and seeing it is the shop of all the vitall spirits without which neither the braine nor the rest of the members can haue life or perforume their dueties it is not without cause that this member is taken to be as it were the seate not onely of the affections but also of reason Therefore it is taken in the Scripture one while for the minde as when Moses saieth to the people of Israel Yet the Lord hath not giuen you a heart to know and another while it is taken for the affections as when our Sauiour Christ saieth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde For wee see heere howe he putteth a difference betweene the heart and the minde Sometime they are put indifferently one for another or one for both especially the heart as when the Lorde saide to Salomon Beholde I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart the heart is taken for the senses and minde as it appeareth very euidently For the same cause Saint Paul continuing his speach of Gods punishment aboue mentioned against the vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men hee addeth to that before recited this saying Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lustes vnto vncleannesse to defile their owne bodies betweene themselues which turned the trueth of God vnto a lie In which place wee see howe the Apostle maketh the heart to be the seate of the appetites and of the affections and howe hee calleth the vnruly and disordered affections of the heart by the name of lustes for so hee expoundeth himselfe by and by after calling them Vile Affections vnto which God gaue them vp Whereupon wee will note this that the naturall affections of the heart which pricke it forward to the desire of pleasure and which minister pleasure vnto it shoulde be no sinne at all vnto men but a benefite giuen them of God in the perfection of their nature were it not that by reason of the corruption which hath raken holde of it such desires and affections cannot containe themselues within the limites of their sound nature but there is alwayes some excesse euen in the perfectest and that being sinne is properly called euill concupiscence because it continually prouoketh vs to euill and causeth vs to goe beyond the bounds which God had set to our affections Whereof it is come to passe that that which should be a benefite vnto men in their naturall pleasures is become hurtfull vnto them Nowe forasmuch as the order of our discourses hath brought vs to the tractate of affections which haue their seate in the heart before wee goe any further we must say somewhat of the nature of this part of the body as we haue done of the braine to the ende we may the better know the seate and instruments of the vital power and vertue of the soule and of the will and affections as those which belong to the animal power and vertue haue bene declared vnto vs. Let vs then heare ASER handle this matter Of the nature and composition of the heart and of the midriffe of the tunicles or skinny couerings of the breast and of the Pericardion or cawle about the heart of the motion office and vse of the lungs of the heart and of the arteries Chap. 37. ASER. It is not without good and iust cause that God hath ordained that reason should lodge in the highest part of the frame of man and that the will and affections should lodge lower namely in the heart For by this order hee would admonish and tell vs what part and power of the soule ought to beare greatest sway therein and that vnderstanding and wisdome which teach vs the true rules according to which wee must square our whole life ought to raigne and haue the first place seeing the principall cause wherefore God hath created vs is to knowe him to the end that knowing him we should loue and honour him as wee ought and as for the affections they are to be 〈◊〉 and gouerned by wisedome and vnderstanding Wherfore if this order appointed by God be confounded and turned topsie turuy in vs hee causeth vs to feele and knowe it well enough For although sinne be the cause yet the impression of that diuine image which God hath set in the nature of man cannot be so wholy defaced in vs but there will alwayes remaine very euident and wonderfull testimonies thereof And therefore presently after we haue ouerthrowne this order and that the will lifteth her selfe vp against reason euen then doth reason condemne that fault of hers and compelleth the heart to take vengeance thereof and to punish in it her selfe disobedience and rebellion
of the aire and that for two notable causes For first seeing the lungs haue not their motion of themselues neither are fastned to the body to receiue motion from it it was needefull to haue them of such matter that they might bee easily mooued and followe the motion of the breast Next they will receiue the aire more easily without any violence if at any time it enter in vehemently and in great quantitie To conclude this point they are so seated in regarde of the heart that they wrappe it and clothe it both on the right side and on the left and serue to defend it against all the neighbour-bones neere about it But heere wee are to note the agreement and mutuall relation which the heart hath with the heauens in that as the first motion of the whole worlde beginneth by the heauens of which all the other motions that are in nature doe depend so the heart is that member in mans body which first receiueth life and motion and which is the wel-spring and fountaine thereof whereupon also it is the first that liueth and the last that dieth And because God hath created it to put into it the vital facultie and vertue from whence the life of liuing creatures proceedeth hee hath also appointed the arteries who receiuing their originall from the heart are afterward distributed and spread throughout all the members of the body as the sinewes and veines are to giue vnto the aire and vitall spirites necessary for life euen as the blood is likewise distributed by meanes of the veines that come from the liuer to nourish them withall and as sense and motion are carried by the sinewes that are deriued from the braine and marrowe of the backe bone as wee haue already shewed Therefore as the aire hath his motion and the windes their course euen such as GOD hath appointed them in the whole body of this great worlde so wee see that the ayre and vitall spirites are in mans body which is the little worlde as windes that haue their course and passages therein to bee carried vnto all the members and to be distributed and communicated vnto them by meanes of the arteries Hereof it is that they heaue and beate in those places where arteries are appointed to be so that by their peace and quietnesse Physitions iudge of the vertue and strength of the heart and consequently of the whole body of health and sickenesse of life and death and of the whole position thereof Therefore the heart hath a double motion to serue for this vse which I speake because it hath yet a third motion and that of another nature of which wee will speake hereafter But as for this first double motion which is heere mentioned it is so called because the one is made when the heart giueth out and the other when it shrinketh in For when it extendeth it selfe foorth then is it refreshed and cooled thereby and when it gathereth inward and restraineth it selfe then doeth it expell and driue out those fuliginous and smokie excrements which otherwise woulde stifle it This two-fold motion is naturall proceeding from the proper nature of the heart and not voluntarie as that of the muscles is which is gouerned by the motion of the braine and sinewes that come from it For the heart hath his filaments or small threedes apt and conuenient for that purpose Nowe this motion serueth not onely for the vses already spoken of but also for the nourishing of the vitall spirite I meane to drawe the blood wherewith it is nourished and also to prepare foode for the lungs thereby to returne such mutuall helpe vnto them as it receiueth from them For as the lungs serue to send breath vnto it thereby to coole it and to further it in the execution of that office which it hath so the heart serueth to nourish and feede the lungs Whereby wee haue a goodly aduerticement concerning that mutuall agreement that ought to be in vs and of that reciprocall helpe which wee owe one to an other and howe wee ought to acknowledge the good turnes that are done vnto vs and doe the like againe to them according to that abilitie which euery one shall haue so to doe For if wee deale not in that sorte it will be all one with vs in humane societie as if one should separate in our body the heart from the lungs that the one might not doe his duetie towardes the other which questionlesse woulde cause the death and ouerthrowe of the whole body Moreouer wee must note that betweene these two motions of the heart nowe spoken of there is some small space in which there is a little rest and then doeth the heart restraine it selfe and drawe from all sides rounde about the aire which is drawne in by the lungs which it enioyeth and hath vse of And for this cause the heart whose flesh is hard and can hardly suffer hath three kindes of filaments called Fibres which serue for all these motions Thus you see the heart that is lorde of mans life howe hee hangeth as it were in his coffer and withdraweth himselfe into his chamber or closet being in a manner separated from the rest of the body to which he giueth life but onely that hee is ioyned thereunto by veines arteries and sinews which hee vseth as pipes some to receiue the benefites that come vnto him from others some to distribute his good things by Wherein we haue a faire resemblance of that mutuall communicating which ought to be among men For although the heart be as the fountaine of life which it imparteth to all the rest of the members and partes of the body yet can it not liue alone without those necessary helpes of the other members vnto which it is seruiceable Nowe we are to consider the substance situation and countepoize thereof with the nature and vse of the vitall spirite which shall be the matter subiect of thy discourse AMANA Of the substance situation and counterpoize of the heart of the nature and vse of the vital Spirite and of the forge vesselles and instruments thereof of the sundry doores and pipes of the heart and of their vses Chap. 38. AMANA All men howe ignorant and brutish soeuer they be cary about with them in their hearts a great testimony that they haue both a God and a Iudge who approoueth that which is good and punisheth the euill For although they neuer heard one worde of his worde yet they cannot be ignorant of this which they sensibly feele and knowe by experience in themselues that nothing but euill can befall them for euill howsoeuer it be long a comming and that they cannot feele the euill which their sinne hath brought vpon them but they will repent them for committing it and wish it had neuer bin done This is naturall Diuinitie which no body can be ignorant of Whereunto Saint Iohn leading vs saith very wel If our heart condemne vs
God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things And we see that repentance ordinarily followeth sinne and that a sinner can not but feele some heauinesse and griefe Yea nature it selfe teacheth vs when wee are displeased for some thing whereof we repent vs to strike our breast because the heart is within it as also to hang downe our eyes for shame But the vexation sadnesse and sorrowe which after the fault committed a man is striken with because of the hurt that taketh holde of him and the punishment he expecteth or endureth already serueth not but for a continuall torment vnto him as if hee were in a hell except he change his mind amend his fault and returne to God againe and so betake himselfe againe to that place and order of his which God had assigned him Beholde what good instructions we haue in our selues which ought to pricke vs forward to goodnesse and drawe vs backe from wickednesse especially our heart beareth vs certaine testimony of that which is acceptable in the sight of God Now as we haue heard that the forme thereof is aptest for the motion it hath so the substance matter whereof it is made is a kinde of flesh that hath none like it in all the other partes of the body For it is needful it should be so thicke and fast that it may the better discharge that office and duety that is laide vpon the heart On the other side it is so seated in the breast that the foundation and foote thereof is directly in the middest of it but the narrow end of it bendeth somewhat towards the left-side Which is done in regarde of two great commodities wherof the one is that it should not rush against the bones of the breast the other that it should heate the left side the more seeing the right side is holpen by the heat of the liuer which is on that side And although the left part of the heart be very bigge and hard and consequently more heauy then the right which is more subtile thinne and soft and therefore lighter neuerthelesse God hath giuen it such a counterpoize that both sides are of equall waight so that although there be no ligameÌ„t or band to tie it vnto the other parts that are neere about it yet without inclining or bending any one way more then other it hangeth in the middest of the vessell and skinne that compasseth it round about For the left part which of it owne nature is heauiest containeth in it a lighter matter namely the vitall spirite and the right side that is not so heauy hath in it a more heauy matter which is the blood Whereby wee see howe the prouidence of God hath so well framed the counterpoize that both partes are equall like to an euen and iust paire of ballance From whence also we may take a good lesson concerning the vprightnesse that ought to be in our heart and wil and in al our affections with what heart we ought to folow the ordinaÌ„ces of God that way which he showeth vs in his word how we should continue and abide stedfast therein and turne neither to the right hand nor the left as wee are often commanded in the holie Scriptures Moreouer forasmuch as the skin that coÌ„passeth the heart hath the bones of the breast on the one side the lungs on the other it was requisit that it should be of a matter so wel teÌ„pered that it might receiue no harme by the hardnes of the bones on the other side shuld not be so hard as to be able to hurt the lungs which are of as soft teÌ„der a flesh as any is in al the body Which teacheth vs sufficiently that the prouidence of God hath forgotten nothing in any respect But we must further know that there are two capacities or holow places in the heart distinguished one from another by a partition the one being on the right side the other on the left That place on the right side serueth to receiue the blood that commeth from the liuer to the heart by veines both for the nourishing of it selfe and of the lungs and for the generation of the vitall spirites whose forge and shoppe is in the other void place on the left side where the hart doth exercise his chiefe office which is to ingâ—nder the vitall spirites of the finest and thinnest blood which resolueth it selfe there as if it came of the sweate that proceedeth out of the right capacitie Now the vital spirit is as it were a most bright and liuely flame like to the celestiall nature which carrieth heat life to the whole body and is the instrument of the chief actions works therof In this left hollow place there is a great artery which is as it were the stocke of al the arteries in the body which a litle from the heart diuideth itselfe into two branches whereof the one ascendeth vpward to carry the vitall spirite into the vpper partes of the body the other which is some what bigger descendeth downeward By meanes of these arteries which are as it were the pipes of the heart the greatest benefite of all is communicated to all partes of the body Now because the arteries and veines haue neede one of an others help they meet one another are so linked and ioyned together that the arteries are seldome alone without the veines For the arteries being ioyned vnto the veines doe giue them aire and spirite which through the vitall heate stirreth the blood and helpeth to bring it to perfection and to preserue it In like manner the arteries sucke some small quantitie of blood out of the veines whereby the vitall spirite is carried sprinckled and increased Wherein wee haue againe a notable example and goodly paterne of that mutuall communicating that ought to be among men without which neither nature nor humane societie can be preserued the like also heereof wee see betweene the heart and the lungs in which there are pipes that passe from the one to the other for their mutuall helping and succouring one of an other For the Arteriall veine that proceedeth out of the right side of the hearâ— carrieth the blood to the lungs to nourish it and the veiny artery which commeth out of the left side of the heart carrieth ayre vnto it from the lungs to refresh it For after it is brought to the lungs by the artery or wind-pipe the lungs communicate the same vnto the heart Likewise by that same veiny artey the ouer-heated ayre and fumes are carried from the heart and serueth besides to carry the spirite and the arteriall blood vnto the lungs to heate them Therefore this artery is not altogether so thicke as the rest are nor so thinne as the veines to the ende it may easily enlarge or straiten it selfe or giue and receiue the ayre and that through hardnesse it hinder not the motion of the lungs as also
euil must of necessitie be fled from And of this naturall inclination to good proceede all those affections of the soule that draw it hither and thither to seeke for it but because of her badde iudgement proceeding of the darkenesse of ignorance which is in the minde she chooseth oftentimes the cleane contrary to that which she desireth as we haue already touched We call then properly by the name of affections the motions and acts of that naturall power of the soule which consisteth in following after good eschewing of euil For receiuing of God in our first creation to be to be wel we haue still some naturall seedes of the perfection of these two great gifts which teach vs naturally that it is a good thing for one to preserue himselfe and his beeing as also to be wel and happy in his beeing but this is only generally For wheÌ„ we are to come from these generalities vnto particulars there are wonderful errors and disorders throughout the whole course of mans life Now among the motions of the soule some go before iudgement others follow after although oftentimes they are so sodaine headstrong withall that it appeareth plainly they haue shaken off the bridle neuer expected staied for any iudgemeÌ„t Notwithstanding it is true that the hart is not moued before there hath bin some iudgement to determine whether that which is then offred vnto it be good or euil But bicause the motions of our spirit mind are very light sodain and need not so long time as otherwise is requisit for vs if wee will take good heede to our matters hereof it is that they seem to vs many times to preuent goe before iudgement giuen when indeed they follow it And as for those naturall motions which in truth go before it they are such as are bred borne of the disposition of the body as the desire to eate in hunger and to drinke in thirst sorrow in time of sickenes or the motion of a melancholike humor or ioy proceeding from good and pure blood in the heart But the other motions follow the aduice of iudgement as that is mooued and changed diuersly by such meanes as haue alreadie bin declared so the affections alter and increase or decrease or otherwise vanish cleane away and come to nothing Whereof it followeth that they are appeased by the same meanes by which they are moued according as they are applied vnto them But although it behooueth that the affections should be pricked forward by iudgement yet it followeth not thereupon that they can not be stirred vp except this mature ripe iudgement be alwaies there which ordaineth things to be done after the discourse of reason For it is enough for them if they haue another iudgement that obserueth not such an exact diligent examination but onely that which fantasie offereth without any other discoursing And this iudgement thus moued by fancie is most vsual ordinary and that which most guideth ruleth the affections of men Therfore it is a sodain tumultuous iudgement of which a man may truly say a short sentence of a sottish iudge Thus fancie being very turbulent skittish drawing to it selfe confusedly some shew and apparance of opinion iudgement whereby it deemeth that which is offred vnto it to be either good or bad is the cause that wee liue in the middest of marueilous troubles in respect of our affections of feare of desire of sorrow of ioy and that one while we weep and sodainly we laugh againe And because it hath great power ouer the body as wee haue already declared these perturbations doe manifestly incline that way We see also by experience that there is great agreement betweene the qualities and temperature of the body and the affections of the soule insomuch that as the bodies of men are compounded of the qualities of heate colde moisture and drienesse so among the affections some are hote others colde some moist others drie some mingled of these diuers qualities So that euery one is most subiect to those affections that come neerest to the nature temperature complexion of his body As for example the affection of ioy is hote and moist therefore they that are hot and moist as children yong men sound and healthy folkes and idle persons are more easily inclined to that affection Contrariwise sorrow is a colde and drie affection and therefore they that are colde and drie are most giuen to that affection and such are olde folkes and they that are of a melancholy humour which is earthy cold and drie For the like reason they that haue a soft and tender heart receiue more easily the impression of ioy and griefe as wax taketh the print of a seale and they that haue a haâ—d and hote heart quickly receiue ioy keep it a long time And on the other side they that haue hard and cold hearts receiue sorrowe and grieâ—e very soone and retaine it long as appeareth in melancholy and melancholike persons And as the affections followe the temperature and complexion of the body so they for their parts haue great vertue and power ouer the body Therefore we see that ioy is as it were a medicine to the body and foode to the naturall heate and moisture in which two qualities life chiefely consisteth as we haue already heard For it greatly preserueth and increaseth them forasmuch as it strengtheneth the animall and naturall vertues stirreth vp the spirites helpeth digestion and generally profiteth the habite and disposition of the whole body For the heart thereby sendeth with the blood much naturall heate and more spirites vnto all parts of the body By meanes whereof the members are watred and moistned by the humiditie contained in the fountaine of blood whereupon it followeth that all the partes increase in bignesse and waxe fatte For this cause Physicions alwayes exhort sicke persons to be as merry as they may and to auoide sorrowe and sadnesse which being colde and drie is contrary to life and so consumeth men For it drieth vp the whole body because the heart thereby is closed vp and restrained so that no great quantitie of spirites can bee made there and those fewe that are there can not easily bee distributed and dispersed with the blood throughout the members Whereupon the vitall vertue and her companions being weakened the liuely colour of the face waxeth wanne and pale and in a manner vanisheth cleane away and so consequently the whole bodie becommeth leane and consumeth as if it tooke no nourishment yea death oftentimes followeth thereupon This agreement therefore which is as we see betweene the temperature and complexion of the body the affections of the soule ought to teach vs to be very temperate in our eating and drinking and in all other things belonging to our life For as wee arre either temperate or intemperate so will the qualities be whereof our bodies are
and moderate For all great violent and turbulent motions proceede of ignoraunce and inconsideratenesse or through a false perswasion which maketh vs to thinke that the Good or Euill is greater then indeede it is And this commeth for want of experience which beeing as it were a darke cloude and mist before the eyes of our minde doe greatly trouble it insomuch that we ayme not at that certaine Good after which wee ought to seeke but contrariwise we propounde to our selues many sortes of Goods with many and sundry endes and meanes to attaine vnto them which we change and rechange from houre to houre very inconstantly according to places times and occasions whereby it is euident that there is no stayednesse in vs. Besides all this there is another great mischiefe namely that wee haue not that prudence which beastes haue by naturall instinct onely without reason or iudgement whereby to knowe how wee may keepe our selues from those tempests which our affections may moue in vs. For when beastes perceiue any tempest comming they sodainly withdraw themselues and seeke for meanes to auoyde it And they that sayle on the Sea foreseeing the tempestuous stormes which threaten them prouide thereafter in good time leaft they shoulde bee caried away therewith For otherwise they bring themselues within the compasse of this danger that afterward they cannot bee Masters of their shippe neither arriue at their desired hauen but rather hazarde the breaking of their shippe against some rocke or of sticking fast in some sande or of beeing swallowed vp and ouerwhelmed with some whitlewindes and tempests The like may bee sayde of the motions of the soule made by affections For there are not so manie sortes of windes whirlewindes or tempestes in the Sea as there is varietie of motions that come from the affections in our heartes Therefore wee ought to bee verie carefull that when wee see and perceiue any beginnings in our soules wee straightwayes giue not our selues ouer into the power and swinge of our affections But wee are so farre from looking to this that we throwe our selues into the middest of the tempest that it may carrie vs not whether wee woulde but whether that will For seeyng wee enterprise our affayres not by the appoyntment and decree of an vpright iudgement directed by reason but at the iudgement and lust of our corrupt and crooked nature wee are so much mooued as our nature hath power For naturall actions are not bounded by our will but eâ—tende themselues as farâ—e as the power and vertue thereof is able to permitte But it is cleane contrarie with a prudent and wise man For hee is not deceiued in the election and choyse of that which is good because hee chooseth with good iudgement and propoundeth not to himselfe many vncertaine Goodes but one onely which is the true and certaine Good Like wise hee chooseth not many wayes and meanes to come vnto it but a few that are well sifted out and infallible besides hee is not gouerned by his affaires and affections but gouerneth them neyther giueth himselfe ouer into their power but abideth alwayes in his owne insomuch that if any affection beginneth to mooue by vertue of his naturall inclination hee presently stayeth it compelling it to giue place and to obey right iudgement Thus much generally of the nature of affections nowe it remayneth that wee shoulde say something of the number and varietie of them Surely it is very difficult yea impossible to set downe a certaine number of an infinite thing although indeede the number of the affections is not infinite by nature but onely in regarde of vs that cannot comprehend them all But wee will reckon vp the chiefest of them which are the fountaine of the rest Heere then we haue first to note that all motions of the soule are in regarde eyther of some good which they seeke or of some euill which they woulde auoyde because it is contrary to that good Therefore euerie motion of it selfe tendeth alwayes to that which is good or withdraweth it selfe from euill or els seâ—teth it selfe against it as wee haue alreadie hearde in the handling of Will Nowe euery good and euery euill is eyther present or to come or past eyther possible or impossible And as wee take the absence of euill for a good so wee iudge the absence of good to bee an euill For this cause the Diuines make two kindes of â—ayne or punishment whereof the first is the payne of losse and damage and the other is the paine of sense and feeling By the first they vnderstande that paine which a man hath because hee wanteth some good that hee should and woulde haue For men account it damage to loose that profite which they ought to haue By the seconde they vnderstande a payne which is felt not onely when some good is wanting which a man shoulde or woulde haue but when some euill is present that is contrary to this good which men feâ—le by effect Therefore they say that the payne of the losse and damage is the priuation of the ioyes of Paradise For although there were no torments of â—ell for the wicked but onely a priuation of that eternall life and happinesse for the which man was created of GOD yet were this no small punishment to bee depriued thereof But there is a great deale more when the wicked are not onely depriued of a blessed life but besides that are detained in perpetuall torments as a malefactor that doeth not onely want all good company but is withall kept in perpetual prison and torture But let vs proceede with our matter When any good is propounded so soone as euer the soule and minde knoweth it it is well liked of And this liking or delight is as it were a little pleasant winde of motion in the heart which beginneth to arise and to followe after this good Nowe when this pleasure and liking is confirmed and waxeth strong it is turned into loue And the motion of that present Good which wee haue already gotten is called ioy and the motion of some Good to come is called Desire which is inclosed within the bounds of loue If the matter be of some euill it is called offence because the soule is offended thereby and therfore she is displeased therewith and dislâ—keth it whereas shee is well pleased with Good If this displeasure or dislike be confirmed it is turned into hatred And as griefe is for some present euill so is feare of some euil â—o come The motion against a present euill is anger enuy indignation and against an euill to come is confidence and boldnesse Now all these affections haue others vnder them For fauour reuerence and mercy are comprised vnder loue delight vnder ioy hope vnder desire and desire vnder griefe As for pride it is a monster compounded of diuers affections as of ioy of desire and of boldenesse And as the affections are quickely bredde one of an other
so some of them are brideled and restrained by others For the first enuy hatâ—ed and anger spring of loue For they are motions of the heart that loueth against him that hateth or hurteth her who is deâ—re or beloued And desire riseth of reuenge and the ioy that commeth thereby proceede from anger and malice If a man loue any thing he wisheth it would come and hopeth also that he shall enioy it and contrariwise hee feareth that it will not come to passe If it come to passe hee reioyceth If it come not to passe when hee thinketh it will or when hee expecteth it he is grieued In like manner great ioy is lessened through greefe and enuy through mercy or through feare And one greefe altereth another when it is greater and feare maketh griefe to be forgotten and causeth the lame to runne To be short these sundry motions of affections are like to stormy waues and billowes which being driuen one of another doe either augment or diminish or wholy oppresse one another Wherefore the like happeneth in the motion of our affections that commeth to passe in a sedition and ciuill dissention in which no man considereth who is the worthier person to obey and folow him but who is the stronger and most mighty So in the fight of the affections there is no respect had to that which is most iust but only to that which is strongest and most violent and which hath gotten such power ouer the soule that it hath wholly subdued her to it selfe which thing wee ought to stand in great feare of But whatsoeuer affections are in vs there is alwayes some griefe or some ioy ioyned with them Therefore following our matter it shal be good for vs to consider particularly of the nature of these two contrary motions of which ioy serueth greatly for the preseruation of life but griefe drieth vp and consumeth the heart euen vnto the death of it as wee shall now learne of ACHITOB. That Ioy or Griefe are alwayes ioyned to the affections and what Ioy and Griefe are properly Chap. 44. ACHITOB. The knowledge of the Affections of the heart and soule is very necessary for euery one because they are very euill and dangerous diseases in the soule but yet being knowen they may be cured more easily This cause hath mooued vs after wee haue spoken of the heart and of the naturall motion thereof and of the vse it hath in this life of the body to enter into the consideration of a second motion it hath which serueth not onely for this corporall life but also for that spirituall life in regard of which it was chiefely giuen and of which we saide that there was as it were an image and representation thereof in the first motion Now we shall better vnderstand this by the subiect of this discourse propounded vnto vs being handled particularly as wee intend to doe For as by the first naturall motion of the heart it receiueth such refreshing as is necessary for the sending of life vnto the whole body and for the maintenance and preseruation of the same as also for the expelling and driuing out of all such things as might hurt and stifle it euen so is it in this second motion as farre as wee can conceiue of the nature of it For seeing God hath appointed ioy as a meanes to preserue life hee hath likewise put this affection in the heart whereby it is as it were enlarged to receiue within it selfe and to embrace all Good that is offered vnto it as also it restraineth and shutteth it selfe vp through griefe which is contrary thereunto Moreouer wee shall finde that there is no affection in vs which is not intermingled with some griefe or else with some ioy For seeing the heart is the proper seate and instrument of all the affections when it is as it were stricken and beaten with some vnpleasant thing that is offered vnto it then doeth it retire close vp it selfe and feele griefe as if it had receiued a wound then doeth it flie from the thing it liketh not Yea the heart doeth alwayes either enlarge or shut vp it selfe according to those affections that are within it the causes of which are in it owne nature God hauing so disposed and willed the same for the reasons which we haue already touched For if the heart be ioyfull the ioy that it hath doeth bring so great pleasure vnto it that thereby it is opened and enlarged as if it would receiue imbrace and lay holde vpon that thing which reioyceth it and bringeth vnto it that pleasure which it hath in this ioy Nowe because there is ioy in loue and hope the blood and spirites are gently and mildely dispersed by their moouings by reason of the reioycing at the Good that is present or that is expected as if it were already present And forasmuch as such motions are made by the enlarging of the heart whereby we embrace the thing offered vnto vs the face also appeareth smiling cheerefull and ruddy For a man may easily iudge that the obiect presented to the heart mooueth that power whereby it is stirred vp because that before the heart doth mooue it selfe it must know the thing that offereth occasion vnto it to be moued either with ioy or griefe or some such like affection For as wee haue learned already the outward senses do first perceiue the things that are offered vnto them and then they present them vnto the common sense which presently by a singular prouidence of God sendeth them to al the other senses and to al those powers that are in the sundry parts of the soule and body This done if there be matter of ioy the heart being striken with that which is acceptable vnto it enlargeth it selfe and being thus gently enlarged as it were to embrace the same it disperseth much naturall heate with the blood besides great quantitie of spirites of which it sendeth a good portion to the face if the ioy be so great that it mooueth a man to hearty laughter For the face it selfe is in some sort blowen vp and enlarged the forehead is made cleere and smoothe the eyes glister and shine the cheekes become ruddy and the lippes gather in themselues In a worde the heart doeth so enlarge it selfe that it is represented in the face as it were in a glasse or in an image framed to expresse the ioy and gladnes which it hath Moreouer experience teacheth vs sufficiently what difference there is between a cheerfull and a sad countenance Therfore when we loue one wee embrace him as if wee woulde ioyne him to our selues and put him into our bosome and heart as some deere and very pretious thing Which wee see chiefly in mothers when they holde their little infants betweene their armes and embrace them with great affection of heart For this cause Saint Paul being desirous to let the Corinthians vnderstand what good will hee bare them howe louing ready and
in sorrowe the heart drieth vp and gathereth it selfe in so it causeth the face which is the image of it to retire and drawe backe yea it depriueth the face of all colour and causeth it to fall away Briefly it marreth all health and hath for continuall companions sighs plaints groanes teares and weeping and oftentimes gnashing of teeth as it is written of the damned because of that sorrowe and indignation in which they are by reason of the torments which they suffer It is true that the most of these things serue as a remedy against sorrow For howsoeuer griefe shutteth vp the heart as we haue said yet by groning sighing and weeping the heart doth in some sort open it selfe as if it woulde come foorth to breathe least being wholly shut vp with sorrow it shoulde be stifled Againe teares are giuen vnto vs to testifie our griefe and to manifest it to others that we may mooue them to haue pitie and compassion on vs and to help and succour vs. They serue vs further to declare what compassion we haue of other mens sorrowe and griefe which vse is very necessary for vs to get and preserue friendship one towardes an other and for our mutuall comfort and consolation For we are greatly comforted when we see any take pitie and compassion of vs. Wherefore when we can not otherwise solace them that are grieued but only by declaring that wee are sorrowfull for their heauinesse and for those euilles which they suffer yet doeth that affoorde great consolation And although it seemeth an easie matter to giue this comfort yet is it harder then many thinke it is For before wee can finde this in vs wee must first haue loue in our hearts which causeth vs to open our bowels and mooueth vs to compassion towards our like that we may weepe with them that weepe as we must reioyce also with them that reioyce according as Saint Paul exhorteth vs thereunto For by this meanes we testifie that vnion and coniunction which we haue one with an other as members of one and the same body and as if wee felt in our selues all that good and euill which others feele Nowe because in our definition of these affections of ioy and griefe we made two sorts of those that men feele in their hearts namely either of that good and euill which is present or if that which they looke for wee must consider more particularly of these things and see first why God hath put these affections in the soule and what is true and present ioy as also what that other kind of ioy is which hath regard to that which is to come which is properly called Hope Now let vs heare thee ASER vpon this matter Of the causes why God hath placed these affections of Ioy and Sorrow in the heart of true and false Ioy and of good and badde Hope Chap. 45. ASER. Men haue commonly sharpe wittes to know vaine earthly and carnall things but as for heauenly true eternall things they are able for the most part to vnderstand nothing So that wee may compare the eyes of their soule to the eyes of an Owle which seeth clearely by night but when the sunne is risen seeth neuer a whit Euen so man hath some knowledge of the troublesome things of this worlde but his sight cannot pierce vnto the celestial and diuine light Therefore it falleth out often that being beguiled by his owne sense and reason insteade of Good and Ioy hee chuseth and followeth after that which is euill and full of griefe For when the affection of the heart which naturally desireth Good and seeketh after Ioy is missed and deceiued by humane reason it easily embraceth euill in place of Good and that vnder some vaine shewe of good which seemeth to be in that euill thing it chuseth And although at the first the heart feeleth not that which happeneth vnto it yet hath it leisure enough after to complaine of the torment which is alwaies equall both for age and time to the fault committed and to the abuse of those gifts and graces which God hath placed in the nature of the soule Forasmuch then as the heart is the beginning of life we may well know that God hath not without good cause placed therein such vehement affections of ioy griefe which serue either to preserue or to destroy it and haue for their companions hope and feare as wee wil declare heereafter For by these affections God would giue vs prickes and solicitours to cause vs to thinke seriously of that lesson which Dauid giueth vs when hee saieth Taste yee and see howe gracious the Lorde is blessed is the man that trusteth in him Feare the Lorde yee his Saintes for nothing wanteth to them that feare him The Lions doe lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lorde shall want nothing that is good What man is hee that desireth life and loueth long dayes for to see good Keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lippes that they speake no guile Eschew euil and do good seeke peace and follow after it The Prophet sheweth here plainely wherein true life felicitie consisteth and the reason thereof hee setteth downe afterward namely that the Lord looketh both vpon the good and bad and that as hee preserueth the good so hee rooteth out the remembrance of the wicked from off the earth Therefore hee saieth afterward Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lorde deliuereth him out of all Malice shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall perish The Lorde redeemeth the soules of his seruants and none that trust in him shall perish Wherefore as the children of God that are partakers of his promises can not bee without great ioy in their hearts which feedeth and preserueth them and causeth them to liue happily through the testimonie and taste which they haue of the sweetenesse goodnesse and fauour of God towards them so contrariwise perpetual sorrow dwelleth in the heart of the wicked who cannot haue that ioy in them because they want that which should bring it vnto them For howsoeuer it seemeth that there is no ioy in the worlde but theirs yet they neuer haue any true ioy neither indeede can haue For they seeke not for it neither doe they knowe what it is And therefore in steade of seeking it in God in whome onely it resteth they seeke it in creatures and in al kind of vanitie and yet finde nothing but in offending the maiestie of God For this cause Iesus Christ hath long since pronounced their sentence saying Wobe to you that laugh for ye shall weepe Contrariwise ye that weep are happy for yee shall laugh Blessed are they that mourne that is to say that feele their miseries and seeke for ioy and consolation in God for they shal bee comforted After speaking to his disciples he sayeth Verely verely I say vnto you that ye shall weeepe and lament and
the world shall reioyce ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shal be turned into ioy And then he compareth their sorrowe and their ioy to that which a woman with childe hath which is pained so long as shee is in trauaile but when shee seeth it borne shee receiueth ioy and soone forgetteth her anguish Whereby the worde of God teacheth vs that the griefe of good men shall be turned into double ioy that their sorrow shal be short and their felicitie of long continuance For there is one ioy euen in being deliuered from euill although it be not so great as when any Good happeneth vnto vs. But the ioy is doubled when besides this deliuerance there commeth vnto vs some ioy which we had not which is procured vnto vs by meanes of that paine and euill which we suffered Therefore our Sauiour saieth further to this effect Yee are nowe in sorrow but I will see you againe and your hearts shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you If this ioy can not be taken away it is eternall so that death it selfe can not abolish it Whereupon it followeth that it remaineth yet after death and that there is an other life after this in which wee shall haue fulnesse of ioy Therefore wee may well call it our owne seeing it alwayes continueth with vs. For if it were not so Iesus Christ who is the trueth it selfe shoulde not bee true But as hee cannot lie so wee may assure our selues of his promise For seeing it is grounded on him and vpon his grace resurrection and immortall life we may bee as certainely perswaded of it as wee are assured of his resurrection and of his eternall ioy and life wherein hee liueth and raigneth for euermore Wherefore all those to whome it is promised and that are assured of the fruition thereof by faith in him haue iust occasion to liue in great ioy So that Saint Paul not without good cause saieth Reioyce alwayes in the Lorde and againe I say reioyce But of the ioy of carnall men wee must say as Salomon writeth That it is better to go to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting And that there is away that seemeth right to a man but the issue thereof is the way of death yea in laughter the heart shall be greeued and the ende of ioy is sorrowe The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth For they thinke of nothing but of iollitie whereas wise men meditate on the miseries of this worlde Therefore wee may know howe greatly Epicures and such as giue themselues to pleasures and dissolutenesse beguile themselues For they thinke there is no ioy nor pleasure but in their life and that there is no life more sadde or melancholy then that of the children and seruants of God But it is cleane contrary For they that feare and honour GOD haue more ioy in their heart in the middest of their greatest sorrowes by reason of that sense and feeling ingrauen in them of heauenly and eternall ioy which thy certainely expect and beginne already to taste here then all worldlings and carnall men can haue in the greatest triumphs of al their pleasures Now as there are two kinds of ioy in the hear of men so are there also of sorrows For we do not only feele ioy for some Good or sorrow for some euill which we now taste of but also for that which we attend and looke for Concerning this latter kind of ioy it is properly called Hope which is an affection and motion of the heart whereby it wisheth some Good to come and prepareth to open it selfe and to receiue it Therefore wee saide before that Hope was comprehended vnder desire vnto which it giueth forme and being For Hope is a desire ioyned with confidence that the Good which wee wish for will come to passe Therefore the motions of Ioy and Hope are very like seeing Hope is alwayes mingled with Ioy neither is there any difference but in the time because the one is of a present Good and the other of that which is looked for In the meane time Hope hath no euidence or science but is grounded onely vpon coniecture of opinion or likelihoode and probabilitie or possibilitie And yet there is nothing so light or so small or strange vnto which the heart will not easily ioyne it selfe and take holde of it when it seeketh for helpes and proppes to ground and stay it selfe vpon Neuertheles there is great difference betweene hauing already and hoping for a thing namely in respect of men and of hope which hath no other grounds then those of which I nowe made mention But when the expectation is grounded vpon God his promises it is as sure of that which it expecteth as if it did already possesse it which is very comfortable to a man in respect of that which hapneth to them who can haue no certaine hope or expectation of Good For although there bee hope yet if it be not grounded vpon God it can bring no certaine ioy or of any long continuance Besides when such a one shall faile of his hope his griefe wil be doubled Wherefore they that build not their hope vpon the word of God can haue no true and certaine hope but they feed thēselues only with their fantasies as they that dreame they find great riches which vanish away whē they awake Such is the hope of the wicked of al worldly and carnall men Neuerthelesse the perswasion of hope which holdeth vs vp with the expectation of better things is very pleasant and necessary for the life of man in the midst of so many miseries of so many sharpe almost intolerable paines and trauailes which accompany them So that it bringeth great comfort to men and is in steade of sawce vnto them without which they woulde find al things to be not only without taste but also of a very bitter and vnpleasant taste Therefore hath the prouidence of God prouided a remedy for this namely that hope shuld breed of very light causes should leane stay it self easily vpon them as if it self were very light or very hooked and gluish being ready to take hold of and to retaine whatsoeuer it meeteth withall or can lay hands vpon to ground and leane thereon Nowe if men finde so great comfort in hope such as it is and being laide vpon so weake a foundation it is easy to iudge what ioy the faithful receiue by that most certaine hope of eternall life and of al the good things that God hath promised them in regard whereof S. Paul saith There is one body one spirit euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation It is not then without cause that he saith in another place We reioyce in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and
hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs as if he should say that they which stay themselues vpon such a hope shal neuer be ashamed nor deceiued For the expectation thereof is neuer frustrated but it hath alwaies a good a happy issue For when we perceiue that we are deceiued of our hope we are ashamed and confounded But this neuer hapneth to true hope which proceedeth of a sound faith in Iesus Christ by means whereof we haue accesse through him vnto this grace wherein wee stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God as Saint Paul said alitle before Therefore he exhorteth christiaÌ„s to reioice in hope calleth God the God of Hope praying that he would fil the Romans with al ioy peace in belieuing that they may abound in hope through the power of the holy ghost And in the epistle to the Hebrews hope is compared to a sure and stedfast ancre of the soule For this cause God is so often called in the holy Scriptures the hope and fortresse of his people and of his It is written also that they which hope in the Lord do reioyce For hee that hopeth in him shal be healed and preserued Therefore it is not without cause that the spirite of God so often repeateth vnto vs this sentence Blessed are they that put their trust in the Lord for they shal neuer be confounded It is better to hope in him then to put any confidence in Princes But vnfaithful and wicked men can neuer be partakers of such a Good because they haue no such hope For it is written The expectation of the iust is gladnesse but the hope of the wicked shall perish And againe The hope of the hypocrite shall perish his confidence shal be cut off and his truct shall be as the house of a spider He shall leane vpon his house but it shall not stand he shall holde him fast by it yet shall it not endure But to prosecuâ—e our matter nowe that wee haue seene the hope of good men together with their ioy let vs consider what remaineth to the wicked of their vaine and false ioy namely Feare which is the second kinde of sorrowe mentioned by vs. Tell vs then AMANA what Feare is with the nature and effectes thereof Of Feare and of the nature and effects thereof towards the body the minde and soule and how it troubleth them of the true harnesse and armour against Feare Chap. 46. AMANA As wicked men can haue no certaine hope of any good they looke for so they neuer haue any true ioy of any present good because they alwayes forsake the true Good and stay in that which is not Good but in their opinion and fantasie neither doe they at any time refâ—rre the ende of good things vnto God but looke onely vpon the things themselues Therefore it is neuer in their power to reioice in that ioy which they accompt to be their true ioy but only by offending God as we heard before Which is the cause why they seek after nothing more then to hide themselues to depart from him as much as they can possible so that they would neuer heare any speech of him but desire to bury the remembrance of him for euer because they can heare nothing spoken of him but as of their iudge neither think of him but he awakeneth their coÌ„science which they labor with might and maine to rocke asleepe Wherein they take a cleane contrary course to that which they ought to follow to obtaine the true Good For seeing God is the soueraigne Good of all creatures what Good can they finde that is greater wherein they can fully reioyce and satisfie themselues Or what other Good dare they promise to themselues to finde without him and when they haue him for their enemy But they are like to drunken men who cannot vnderstand this Diuinitie vntill they haue slept out their wine and are awaked out of their drunkennesse Then shall they knowe what is true and false Ioy what is good and badde Hope when their ioy shall bee turned into sorrowe their expectation and hope into feare and terrour wherewith the wicked shall be continually haunted as the Spirite of God teacheth vs. Nowe as sorrow is a griefe for some euil which a man presently feeleth shutting vp the heart as vnwilling to receiue it so feare is a sorrow which the heart conceiueth of some looked for euill that may come vnto it Therefore it restraineth the heart also and closeth it vp as being desirous to auoide the euill Wee see then that there is the same difference betwixt sorrowe and feare in respect of euill that is betweene Ioy and Hope in regarde of Good So that we may well say that Feare is not onely a fantasie and imagination of euill approching or a perturbation of the soule proceeding from the opinion it hath of some euill to come but it is also a contraction and closing vp of the heart which commeth from that which euery one iudgeth to be euill for himselfe when hee thinketh it is at hand and will light vpon him Therefore first of all it draweth in and shutteth vp the heart and so weakneth the same Whereupon nature being desirous to relieue and succour it sendeth heate vnto it from the vpper partes and if that bee not sufficient shee draweth away that heate also which is in the neather parts By which doing she sodainely calleth backe the blood and spirites vnto the heart and then followeth a generall palenesse and cold in all the outward partes and chiefly in the face with a shiuering throughout the whole body For seeing the first moouing thereof is in the heart the other alwayes followeth so that when the heart trembleth the whole body doth so likewise Whereupon it followeth that by reason of the great beating and panting of the heart the tongue faltereth and the voice is interrupted Yea it commeth to passe sometimes that present death followeth a great and sodaine feare because al the blood retiring to the heart choaketh it and vtterly extinguisheth naturall heate and the spirites so that death must needes ensue thereof Therefore we cannot doubt but that feare hath greaâ— power ouer all the body and ouer life it selfe For this cause Esaias after he had denounced the iudgement of God against the Babylonians the comming of the Medes and Persians by whome their citie shoulde be taken and themselues slaine saieth thus Therefore shall all handes be weakened and all mens hearts shall melt which is as much to say as that their hearts shall faile them for feare And therefore hee addeth They shal be afraid anguish sorrow shall take them and they shall haue paine as a woman that trauaileth euery one shal be amased at his neighbour their faces shal be like flames of fire But here we
will note what he meaneth by these flames of fire For if the face waxe pale through feare as it falleth out for the most part it seemeth that it cannot be enflamed for then it would be red rather then pale But we are to know that when nature will strengthen the heart she sendeth vnto it from all parts succours of heat and blood to encourage it the more Therefore they that haue but a little warme blood in the heart are naturally the greater cowardes so that it is a better token of courage when the face is pale through feare then when it waxeth redde For this cause Cato misliked that a child should becom pale in the face through shame in stead of being red and that a souldier should looke red in time of danger in stead of being pale For as it is a token of impudencie in a child not to blush for shame so is it a signe of cowardlinesse in a man of warre to looke redde when hee seeth himselfe in any danger Therefore a pale countenance sheweth that the blood and naturall heate are gone to the heart to strengthen it but when it is redde that argueth that the blood and heate are not much gone inward to strengthen the heart whereupon it is made more weake and so the feare of it is greater and the trembling much more And because the blood and naturall heate mount vpward in steade of descending therefore doth the face looke red Which argueth want of courage and a fainting heart as it befell the Babylonians whose heartes were possessed with feare and terrour at the comming of their enemies because God woulde giue them ouer into their hander Wee might also referre this rednesse and inflammation of visage to the paines and griefs which they were to endure For when one is pressed with griefe his countenance is redde and fierie because men are then as it were shut vp in a fire And as the face is red through Feare for the reasons set downe by vs so if the naturall heate leaue the heart and goe downeward the feare is not onely encreased but it bringeth withall a loosenesse of the belly Therefore it is written in the Booke of Iob where it is spoken of the feare that Liuiathan bringeth vpon men that the mightie tremble at his maiestie and purge themselues through his moouings that is through feare of him Hereupon a heathen Poet when hee would note a fearefull and dastardly fellowe saieth to this purpose That his heart was fallen into his heeles Nowe if feare mooueth all the body in this sorte no doubt but it greatly mooueth also the minde and the whole soule of man For it so troubleth the minde that it confoundeth all the thoughts thereof as wee may trie by this that many times the least fancie of euill that entreth into our braine is enough to trouble the minde very much For as imagination and fancie beare great sway ouer the affections so they shewe what power they haue chiefely in the affection of Feare And surely among all liuing creatures none hath such a confused feare or is more amazed therewith then man is Therefore we may well say that no misery is greater no bondage more shamefull seruile or vile then feare is For it maketh men very abiects flatterers and suspicious and so daunteth their courage that it leaueth them as it were halfe dead yea causeth them sometimes to despaire vtterly so that they are as it were Images destitute of counsaile not knowing which wayes to helpe themselues For this cause the holy Scriptures make often mention of a heart that is powred out like water for feare or that melteth like waxe And in Ieremy it is saide In that day saieth the Lorde the heart of the king shall perish and the heart of the Princes and the Priests shall be astonished and the Prophets shall wonder For truely if a man be once possessed with feare especially if hee bee enclined thereunto by nature but aboue all if GOD terrifie him a man may well exhort him to boldenesse and to take courage vnto him and alleadge all the reasons that can be to strengthen him against Feare but it will be to small purpose Therefore one saieth very well that no harnesse can be founde which is able to incourage feare and to make it hardy For if any Armorers had the skil to make such harnesse they should want no customers But onely God is able to arme vs against this because it is he that giueth or taketh away the heart of man that sendeth feare or boldenesse as pleaseth him For although hee hath sowed the seedes of them both in the nature of the body and soule of man with the meanes also that leade thereunto yet he hath not subiected himselfe to all those meanes no more then hee hath to the whole order of nature but hath alwayes reserued in his power both Feare and faintnesse of heart and boldenesse and assurance which are their contraries For assurance is a certaine perswasion and trust whereby wee are confirmed in danger against euilles that threaten vs and come neere vs and boldenesse is a confidence which pricketh forward the courage either to repulse euilles or to followe after good things which are excellent and harde to obtaine Therefore when GOD is minded to punish men hee taketh away their heartes whome hee will destroy causing them to tremble and to flie for feare as it is written in Ioshua where Rahab speaking to the spies of the Israelites that were sent to Iericho vseth these wordes I know that the Lorde hath giuen you this land for the feare of you is fallen vpon vs and all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you Contrariwise our GOD heartneth and emboldeneth those by whome hee will ouerthrow others and to whome hee mindeth to grant victorie Therefore it is written that hee will cause the feare of his seruants to fall vpon his enemies that the wicked and such as haue not called vpon GOD shall feare where there is no cause of feare and shall tremble and flie for feare although there be none that persecute them So that if wee doe desire to finde a harnesse that will arme our heart thorowly against all feare let vs put on the armour of the true feare of GOD and of sounde Faith in him For as the Prophet Dauid sayeth Blessed is the man that feareth the Lorde the iust shall liue in assured hope hee shall neuer be moued hee shall not be afraide of euill tidings for his heart is fixed and beleeueth in the Lorde his heart is stablished therefore hee will not feare For whosoeuer feareth God and walketh in innocencie God is with him and hee that hath God on his side what can hee or ought he to feare For when hee is with vs who shal be against vs May hee not well say with Dauid When I was afraide I trusted in thee In God doe I trust I will not be
afraide what man can do vnto me In the feare of the Lorde saith the wise man there is assured strength and his children shall haue hope Therefore Iesus Christ saieth to his Disciples Let not your heart bee troubled And then hee sheweth them the meanes saying Ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me For nothing but faith in God through Iesus Christ is able to giue vs this assurance On the other side if wee be not armed with the feare of GOD and with true faith that wee may be certaine of his helpe and prouidence and of his loue towards vs there is nothing that can assure vs but rather that which is written in the Lawe will befall vs I will saieth the Lorde send a faintnesse into their heartes in the land of their enemies and the sound of a leafe shaken shall chase them and They shall flee as fleeing from a sworde and they shall fall no man pursuing them And in an other place where mention is made of them that despise the Lawe of GOD and rebell against the Lorde it is saide The Lord shall giue thee a trembling heart and looking to returne till thine eies fall out and a sorrowfull mind Thy life shall hang before thee thou shalt feare both night and day and shalt haue none assurance of thy life In the morning thou shalt say would God it were euening and at euening thou shalt say woulde God it were morning for the feare of thine heart which thou shalt feare and for the sight of thine eies which thou shalt see Therefore when wee see that in many great and dangerous affaires the boldest and most couragious are oftentimes the greatest cowardes and most astonished and carried away with feare and terrour and euen many times without any great cause are amased and voyde of counsaile whereas contrariwise cowardes by nature growe to bee most hardy in the middest of dangers thereby GOD sheweth very well whether strength and courage come from him or from men and who is to haue the praise thereof But nowe that wee haue seene the first motions of the heart in the affections of ioy of sorrowe of hope and of feare and knowe that they haue respect to good or euill either present or to come let vs learne in the next place that as contemplation consisteth in the rest of the Spirite after the discourse of reason and iudgement so after the heart hath the fruition of that Good which belongeth vnto it it is still and quiet resting it selfe therein which rest is called Delight or pleasure of which the order of our speech requireth that thou shouldest dilate ARAM at this present Of the delight and pleasure that followeth euery ioy and of the moderation that is required therein of diuers degrees of pleasures and howe men abuse them especially those pleasures which are receiued by the corporall senses Chap. 47. ARAM. It is certaine that all the affections which God hath placed in the nature of man were giuen vnto him in regarde of so many good things which were meete and conuenient for his will to long after and to desire For ioy and hope which affoord pleasure and consolation to the heart were bestowed vpon him to bee spurres and sollicitours to induce him to seeke after God his soueraigne Good in whom alone he may finde all delight rest and pleasure As for sorow and feare they are sure testimonies vnto men of the iudgement of God and executioners of his vengeance to this end that the feare of euill which may come vnto them should keepe them in awe and that sorow and griefe for euill which they haue already committed should be vnto them both hangman and punishment It is true that these affections being naturall in euery one bring forth contrary effects both in the good and in the bad For the children of God neuer separate his power from his goodnesse and the feare which they haue of him is not ioyned with hatred but with trust in his mercie which mooueth them to be grieued for offending him and to loue him to seeke him and to reioyce in him and to haue him in singuler honour and veneration But the wicked who feare and tremble like to malefactors fearing their iudge hate and despite God desiring nothing more then to escape his hands and to flee from him as farre as they can If they be grieued it is because they may not enioy false ioyes and vnlawfull pleasures Therefore that which is giuen them for Good is turned by them into sinne and euill and pleasure into paine and griefe But here we must call to minde what we haue spoken already concerning the signification of this worde Good as it is commonly taken not considering whether it be true or false but onely according to that opinion which men haue of it For there are many whose fancie is sufficient to affoord them as much pleasure as if indeed they enioyed that Good which they thinke to haue We see many such fooles in the world For some are Popes or Cardinals by fantasie others Emperors or Kings and great Princes or otherwise very riche or possessours of some such great Good And yet such fantasticall fellowes are better contented and pleased with that which they thinke they haue in their foolishe imagination then they that haue them in trueth vnto whome commonly they serue for nothing but to torment them more Therefore I knowe not which of them I shoulde esteeme more foolish and fantasticall For none ought to bee taken for truely wise men and of ripe iudgement but they who knowe that all thinges in the worlde and vnder the sunne are onely vanitie as Salomon sheweth in his booke of the Preacher Therefore hee saieth thus I saide in mine heart Goe to nowe I will prooue thee with ioy therefore take thou pleasure in pleasaunt thinges and behold this also is vanitie I said of laughter thou art mad and of ioy what is this that thou doest But to goe forwarde with our matter let vs consider what delight and pleasure is so farre as men may enioy it in this life It is then a rest which the heart taketh in the enioying of some Good that it liketh euen as contemplation is the rest of the spirite after the discourse of Reason and Iudgement Now wee are to note that there is no delight and pleasure in any thing except there be some agreement betweene that part or power that receiueth pleasure and that which bringeth the same vnto it This agreement cannot bee without good proportion of the one with the other whereby there is some similitude and resemblance betweene them For this cause also the thing that bringeth delight must not exceede too much either in greatnesse or in smalnesse aboue the power which receiueth it in regarde of that part or instrument whereby the pleasure is receiued Heereupon when wee spake of the eyes and eares wee shewed that light was to bee
man shewe vs the goodliest woorkes that can bee either of golde or of filuer or pictures or garments or houses as curiously wrought as can bee deuised eyther for beautie or cost yet when wee haue seene them foure or fiue times wee beginne to bee full of it and take not so great pleasure therein as wee did But who is euer wearie of beholding I will not say the heauens the sunne the moone and the starres but the earth the sea riuers mountaines valleyes gardens trees herbes and flowres The cause heereof is the agreement of nature For wee being naturall naturall things are more agreeable vnto vs then artificiall And because wee were created and made not by the hande of a Paynter and mortall man but by the hande of the liuing God who paynteth liuing images and pictures therefore wee take greater delight in his handie woorkes then in the woorkes of any other howe excellent a woorkeman soeuer hee bee And indeede they are are of farre greater perfection then those that are made by the arte of man Therefore Arte laboreth alwayes to follow nature and to expresse her workes as neere as it can insomuch that they are accounted the best woorkemen and men delight most in their doings that come neerest vnto nature Howe much more then ought wee to like the woorkes of nature and consequently God himselfe who is the Author and Creator of nature and of all her woorkes For the least woorke of his in nature is more excellent in his kinde then the perfectest woorke that humane arte is able to shewe Nowe if wee come from his naturall woorkes to those that are supernaturall and aboue the reach of nature wee shall finde in them a great deale more matter of all kinde of delight For if wee coulde consider aright of these thinges we woulde ascende vp from artificiall thinges and from that delight which they affoorde vs euen vnto naturall thinges and from these vnto the Author and Creator of them and of all nature and there wee woulde seeke for our true delight and pleasure Herein nature her selfe is our good Mistresse as shee that leadeth vs thereunto as it were by the hande But our inconsideratenesse our blockishnesse and ingratitude is the cause why wee cannot learne this lesson of her and why wee haue not the maruellous and excellent workes of GOD and nature in such due admiration as wee ought to haue Whereupon it commeth to passe also that wee take not so great delight and pleasure in them and that custome which ought to increase this delight in vs is a meane rather to diminish the same And by this meanes also wee are kept from that admiration which wee ought to haue of God the Woorkemaster of them and of that delight and pleasure which wee shoulde finde in him if we mounted vp so high and sought him there But because wee are alwayes musing about vile and abiect thinges wee haue no leasure to consider of and to contemplate higher and more woonderfull thinges Nowe to ende this dayes speech seeing wee are taught that God hath giuen vs the affections of ioy and of sorowe to induce and mooue vs to seeke him to the ende that by eschewing the euill that is contrary vnto vs we might attaine to that soueraigne Good which he hath prepared for vs and to that true delight pleasure and blisse which wee may finde in him let vs knowe that we haue good occasion to pray vnto him incessantly that he woulde vouchsafe so to lighten our senses and minde and to rule all our affections and willes in such sort that we may at the length attaine thereunto For then we shall not onely be deliuered from all sorowe and griefe but haue the full fruition of perfect ioy and perpetuall delight And to the ende that we may goe forwarde to morowe with our matter of the affections of the heart and soule thou shalt intreate ASER of the affections of loue which follow those of which we haue alreadie spoken The ende of the sixt dayes worke THE SEVENTH dayes worke Of the affections of loue of the nature kindes and obiect of it of the beginning of friendshippe of the vertue and force of alluring that is in likenesse and in beautie of the agreement that is betweene beautie and goodnesse Chap. 49. ASER If wee know not throughly the affections of our soule which by reason of the corruption of our nature are so many diseases in vs wee shall neuer know our selues well nor the image of God which is imprinted in our soule nor the affectiō of his goodnes towards vs. Likewise wee can neuer learne what pure and sound parts of the nature of the affections remain yet in man what is added thereunto by reason of sinne that is in vs neither yet what vertue vice are except we truly know the nature of the affections Moreouer without this knowledge we can neuer make choice of good from euil or of truth from lying For being as we must needes be during this life subiect vnto and tossed on euery side with an infinite number of strange passions if they be vnknowen vnto vs we cannot discerne amongst a multitude of contrary opinions which of them is soundest euery one of thē pretending some shew of good of truth Therefore as we saw yesterday the affections of ioy and of sorow of hope and of feare and of delight and pleasure which folow ioy wherby we may conceiue the contrary vnto it namely griefe and torment which follow sorow so this day we are to proceede in learning what other affections there are of the heart and soule I wil begin then with the affection of loue which is a motion wherby the heart lusteth after that which is good indeed or which seemeth vnto it to be so desiring to draw the good to it selfe to the ende it may enioy the same This affection commeth neere to the nature of hope but it is a great deale more hote Therefore after the heart is once moued it presently draweth vnto it that thing which is offered for good labouring as it were to haue the fruition of some great Good But let vs consider howe this affection is bredde in the heart After that Iudgement hath iudged a thing to bee good so soone as the same thing is presented to the Will it doth by and by moue allure and draw the same vnto it selfe by a certaine naturall agreement euen as the like is betweene the minde and the trueth and betweene the eye and beautie This motion of the heart and will hath euen then ioyned with it a certaine kinde of reioycing as testifying thereby that the thing pleaseth it and is very good and agreeable vnto it Now when this reioycing is confirmed it is called loue which is an inclination or a proceeding of the will towards that which is Good For it fareth with the Will as if it went before to meete with the good that is comming to
other as also we shall be altogither a great deale more conioyned with and in God For this cause Saint Paul had good reason to say that Loue doeth neuer fallaway though prophecyings be abolished or tongues cease or knowledge vanish away Wherefore in this respect hee concludeth that loue is the greatest of these three Faith Hope and Loue. But wee haue spoken enough of the nature of Loue for the subiect of our discourse of the naturall historie of man Nowe I thinke it will not bee vnprofitable if wee say somewhat of other affections that are neere neighbours vnto Loue and ioyned with it as of fauour reuerence honour and pitie which haue such good or ill qualities in man as the nature of that loue hath which bringeth them foorth as ASER will giue vs to vnderstand Of fauour reuerence and of honour of their nature and effectes of those outward signes whereby they shew themselues of pitie and compassion and how agreeable it is to the nature of man Chap. 53. ASER. I cannot marueile enough at the drowsines of many great spirits who are so delighted with the vaine dreames of their own fancies that they employ all the giftes and graces of their minde to lift vp euen vnto the heauens the pleasures that are receiued in the loue of humane and mortall things especially in the fruites of concupiscence and yet the least of them cannot be gotten without a thousand troublesome discommodities besides that they leaue alwayes in man an insatiable desire of them I would aske of them gladly when the most voluptuous man of them all hath not euen in the middest of his pleasures sighed and bene subiect to passions desiring some other thing besides or when there was euer founde betweene twaine that loued ech other corruptly that conformitie of wils that communication of thoughts those continual agreements that concord of life which is necessary in all true loue especially seeing it is a hard matter yea impossible to see a wicked man that is not daily at variance with himselfe insomuch that if he could leaue himselfe as two men forsake eche other there are many who vpon euery occasion woulde leaue themselues to take another body or another soule And as when one being very desirous to eate and thereupon falling asleepe dreameth that he is feeding and yet is not satisfied because it is not a dreame of meate that will content the sense and appetite which seeketh to bee appeased but substantiall meate it selfe euen so it falleth out when men dreaming in spirite which is as pernicious a thing as the sleepe of death giue themselues by a certaine natural inclination which they haue to the loue of Good to seeke for the beautie contentation delight thereof vpon earth when they are not to be found in the whole worlde As for their shadowes which in some sort appeare in corporall and earthly things and in those delights which proceede of them they doe not feede their mindes with sound and good thinges but rather abuse and deceiue them Therefore we ought to take great heed that wee set not our heart and affection rather vpon those miserable corruptible and deceiueable pleasures wherein worldlings and carnal men doe glory then vpon that great and infinite brightnesse of which the sunne is but a very small beame and vpon those singular blessed and heauenly trueths which the worde of life doeth teach vs and which are the onely true and solide meates that can content and satisfie our spirits eternally It is certaine that nature mooueth vs to set our affection chiefly vpon some one thing rather then vpon another forasmuch as loue is a gift bestowed by the Creatour vpon all natures at the time of their birth Nowe vnto Loue many other affections are ioyned among which Fauour commonly hath the first place This affection is a kinde of good will and liking which springeth from a iudgement conceiued of some Good so that wee may call it a loue begunne For in this iudgement of Good wee esteeme well of him towardes whome our fauour is extended and iudge him woorthie of some good thing and by this meanes wee beginne to loue him Wherefore although fauour may bee without true loue yet loue cannot bee without fauour Notwithstanding when wee fauour one before wee loue him euen then wee enter into the way that leadeth to loue him And for the least shadowe of loue in our heart towardes another wee fauour him as wee see it in those that are linked vnto vs by some degree eyther of consanguinitie or of affinitie or by meanes of some acquaintance and knowledge Now forasmuch as GOD loueth vs he beareth vs fauour also although not in the regarde or for the iudgement of any good which hee seeth in vs or in our corrupted nature but because of the loue hee beareth vs in Iesus Christ his welbeloued in whome by his grace hee hath made vs acceptable to himselfe Therefore this fauour bringeth with it the perfection of all Good vnto vs. For what can hee want that is fauoured of God who can doe all things This fauour which God beareth vnto vs is called grace and blessing in the holy Scriptures which comprehendeth all those benefites which wee receiue of his goodnesse For they proceede all of this fauour and this fauour of the loue hee beareth vs in Iesus Christ Reuerence also commonly accompanieth loue whereby we vnderstand an affection proceeding from the iudgement of some great good that hurteth vs not For if wee thought it woulde hurt vs there woulde bee feare ioyned with hatred and not true reuerence For although there is euermore in all reuerence some feare mingled with shamefastnesse neuerthelesse this feare bringeth no hatred with it This reuerence is bredde in vs by comparing the greatnesse of another with our smalnesse as if wee admired those excellent thinges that are in him For as the heart doeth enlarge it selfe through the consideration and opinion it hath of it owne greatnesse so doeth it restraine and close vp it selfe vpon the reputation and conceipt of another mans greatnesse so it bee good or at leastwise without hurt Therefore if wee compare our greatnesse with some other mans that is farre greater we know our owne smalnesse thereby Whereupon it commeth to passe that we doe not onely esteeme woorse but euen dislike and contemne our selues by which meanes wee become more humble whereas before wee were puffed vp with pride through the opinion of our greatnesse of which wee haue experience as often as wee compare our selues with GOD and lift vp our spirite euen to the consideration of his diuine maiestie comparing that with our basenesse For then beeing rauished with admiration of his highnesse and infinite greatnesse wee honour and reuerence him by reason of his power vnto which wee ioyne also his wisedome and goodnesse And according to that reuerence wee beare towardes him wee reuerence those also in whome wee see the same
giftes and graces shine For power breedeth reuerence and goodnesse loue Wherfore if we iudge that power and greatnes are ioyned with goodnes and tempered therewithall we shal not onely be moued to reuerence but this reuerence also will engender loue as it is in the hearts of the faithful towards God because that as they consider him almighty and the greatest of all so they behold him most wise and most good But as I haue already touched if we thinke that this greatnesse or power either is or wil be hurtful vnto vs there is another kind of reuerence which only hath feare that breedeth hatred as it is in them that consider the power of God only the rigour of his iudgement not meditating of his clemencie and benignitie Therefore as the great excellency which in all things appeareth in God especially in power wisdome and goodnes induceth vs to reuerence him aright so if we would haue men to honour reuerence vs there must bee excellent vertues in vs in which men may see the image of God to shine that so he may be honoured reuerenced in vs we in him For therein consisteth that true honour that true reuerence which we ought to seek for to desire And although reuerence hath respect principally to the diuine maiestie at the name of which euery knee ought to bow and to those superiorities which are images thereof vnto which they that are of lesse degree estate and condition ought to giue honor seruice neuertheles mutual reuerence is necessary in al true friendship aswel in respect of the party beloued as of him that loueth And indeed we see howe that true friendes reuerence and honour one another and all because of that good opinion which they haue conceiued eche of others desert Concerning this word Honour it is properly a token whereby we testifie that we iudge him to bee endued with vertue whome we honour Wherefore as the consideration of vertue breedeth honour so honour breedeth reuerence and then honour and reuerence breede maiestie which is the highest degree of honour and encreaseth continually according as those vertues and good things excell which induce vs to honour them For if the vertues be meane wee honour them with a more simple honour if greater we adde thereunto reuerence and then maiestie is that honour which can be giuen to the greatest of all And as this affection of honour is in our heart wee shew it foorth by diuers outwarde signes whereby we signifie and testifie that we acknowledge their greatnes and excellencie whom wee honour and that we submit our selues thereunto Therefore the more humble and modest a man is the readier he will be to yeelde reuerence and honour to them vnto whom it is due Contrariwise the more drunken a man is with the loue of himselfe the more he will presume of himselfe and the greater this presumption is in him the lesse wil he desire that another should be more excellent then himselfe and wil be the hardlier perswaded to beleeue it is so Therefore he will hardly yeelde to giue him honour and reuerence But Saint Paul admonisheth the children of God to goe before one another in giuing honour and to be of like affection one towardes another not being high minded neither wise in themselues that is to say arrogant and selfe-weening presuming very much of themselues So that as pride or humilitie aboundeth in vs God our superiours and friendes shal be more or lesse honoured by vs. As for those signes whereby we testifie this honour and reuerence we are to note that they are many according to the diuersities of nations and countries and of their maners Most commonly we vse to bend the knee in testimonie that we abase and submit our selues to those vnto whom we doe this honour Likewise we vncouer the head which is a token of seruitude according to the custome of the Grecians and of the Romanes There are many other such like signes as to rise vp to giue place to accompanie to salute and infinite others which would be too long to rehearse and without profite all which we call bearing of honour and reuerence or yeelding of reuerence Wherefore although God looketh chiefly to that which is within and not to that which is without yet will he haue vs by externall signes to declare that honour which we owe and beare vnto him and by them to yeeld him homage Thus he requireth that we should testifie our faith and our loue towards him by confession of mouth and by all good workes that there may be alwayes an agreement betweene the body and the soule betweene the heart mouth and hands and betweene the workmaster that worketh and his instruments and woorkes to the ende that the one may bee knowen by the other For if the outwarde signes agree not with the heart we make them false witnesses as the tongue is when it lieth For they beare witnesse to that which is not which is right hypocrisie displeasing God and men Therefore we must beware of this vice and take heed that we make no other outward shew then will stande with the affection of the heart Now hauing spoken of honour reuerence and maiestie by reason of that coniunction which they haue with loue as also of fauour and grace it remaineth now that we should speake somewhat of Mercie and compassion seeing that also hath great agreement with loue Mercie then is a griefe conceiued in our heart in respect of some euil which as we thinke is befallen one that hath not deserued it and this we call also pitie and compassion Now because this affection moueth vs to aide succour and to doe good to them that are afflicted as also to pardon such as haue offended vs therefore Mercie is often taken in the holy scriptures for ayde succour fauour grace beneficence good will benefiting friendship benignitie as also for the affection and inclination of the heart to doe good and to succour all them that haue neede of helpe and this proceedeth of charitie Therfore Saint Paul saith He that sheweth mercie let him doe it with cheerefulnesse Let loue be without dissimulation Abhorre that which is euill and cleaue to that which is good Be affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue not slouthfull to doe seruice feruent in spirite seruing the Lorde distributing to the necessities of the Saintes giuing your selues to hospitalitie Whereby he admonisheth vs that all the succours which we giue to others ought to proceede from a sincere and cheerefull affection of the heart which should prouoke vs to perfourme the same and this cannot be in vs without the affection of pitie of mercie and of compassion In regard whereof the name of almes is taken from a worde which in Greeke signifieth Mercy and therefore also almes signifieth asmuch as mercie or that succour that is done of mercy and compassion wherewith we are affected in respect of
the miserie of our like Whereupon it followeth that as euery one is of a more tender heart so he is more mercifull as contrariwise hardnesse of heart extinguisheth mercie and compassion As for this word Compassion it signifieth asmuch as alike compassion that is a like sense and feeling of euil and of griefe as if we our selues suffered that which we see others endure by reason of that coniunction which we ought to haue one with another as members of one and the same body among which there is such agreement that if one suffer all feele it and so all are carefull for it Therefore it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrewes that brotherly loue continueth Bee not saith he forgetfull to lodge strangers Remember them that are in bondes as though ye were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if ye were also afflicted in the bodie Wherefore we may well conclude that this affection of mercie is very necessary for men yea as sweet as milde and as profitable an affection as any can be amongst them which they haue receiued of God for their mutual succour and consolation in the midst of so many miseries as commonly happen in the life of man And this hee commaundeth vs expresly in infinite places of his woorde that the image of his vnspeakeable mercy might shine in vs by our mercy towards others Hitherto we haue spoken of man as of man and of those affections that are most humane in him now others remaine which often make him more brutish then any sauage beast that is For seeing they come of the opinion of euill they prouoke and stirre him vp greatly making him marueilous wilde and vntamed To the end therefore that we may enter into the discourse of this matter we will first see what Offending and Offence is in the heart and soule consider what degrees it hath and what good or euill may be in this affection This we shall learne of thee AMANA Of offence in the heart and soule of the degrees of offence of the good and euil that may be in this affection of contempt that is bred of it and of mockery which followeth contempt Chap. 54. AMANA The Philosophers haue set downe foure causes of al the troubles of the soule from whence all the residue proceed into which they returne and haue their end namely immoderate desire vnbrideled ioy vnmeasurable griefe and extreame feare These as they say proceede through imprudence or ignorance of the minde and pusillanimitie of heart from the opinion of good or euill things present or to come which we imagine to be in the things of this worlde being vnperfect and of small continuance Now forasmuch as these foure causes are the springs of all vices and sinnes into which men plunge themselues in this life they are called perturbations of the soule which if they be not mastred by reason doe so carie the soule hither and thither that in the ende they constraine the reasonable power thereof to giue ouer all authoritie and libertie and to obey the lustes of the sensuall and vnreasonable Will Nowe desire and ioy they commonly accompanie the perishing goodes of the bodie For they are of that nature that they inflame the soule with an insatiable lust inso much that the obtaining of one thing is the beginning of a new and vehement desire of hauing another And the enioying of them besotteth the spirite with a sugred poison of fained delight and pleasure vnder the yoke of which it easily suffreth it selfe to be ouercome to be bound and to be gouerned As for griefe feare although they also be not farre remooued from such false and vading goods of the body yet for the most part they respect those aduersities and miseries which in our opinion wee iudge to be in the want and priuation of those goods For they fill the soule with trouble and disquietnesse as she that thinketh her estate to be most miserable if she obtaine not the ende of her carnall and inordinate affections So that if the body endure neuer so little shee casteth foorth strange cries and complaintes And although the bodie suffer nothing at all yet is shee alwayes in extreme feare least some euill shoulde befall it But these very passions may bee diuided into good and badde For honest desire modestioy and moderate griefe and feare are naturally in vs for the preseruation of our being Yea all these affections are endued with the qualities of commendable vertues if they respect the soueraigne Good of man as we may learne by our former speeches touching this matter which were chiefly of good affections and of such as are most natural in man Therefore following our matter subiect we must from hencefoorth consider of a great number of other affections of the heart which for the most part make men more beastlike then the very beasts themselues that are voyde of all vnderstanding and reason yea then the wildest beastes that are All which affections take their beginning from the opinion of euill as these that are good proceed from the opinion of Good For the feare of euil doth wonderfully prouoke a man when he is touched therwith he waxeth very sauage and wilde Now the first sting and byting of euill is offence by reason that the heart is offended euen as when one rusheth against a thing hurteth himself Therfore by offence we vnderstand properly a certaine griefe of the soule of the heart which commeth through some touch of euill that agreeth not to our nature This first sence of griefe is like to the first pricking of ones bodie and is contrarie to the first pleasure which we receiue of some Good that is offered vnto vs and is agreeable to our nature So that as this pleasure when it is confirmed is turned into loue so out of this first feeling of griefe which I call offence the other affections that are ioyned with griefe doe budde foorth afterwarde namely anger hatred enuie indignation reuenge crueltie and such like The euill that may offend vs is whatsoeuer we iudge to be contrary to vs and to our nature as well in regard of the body as of the soule For as the bodie is offended by those euils which trouble the harmonie and temperature thereof and which bring griefe and hurt vnto it so is it with the soule and with all the powers senses and affections thereof For she may be offended in her imagination and fantasie in her reason in her will and in her affections Nowe because euery one followeth his affections or his natural inclination and not the right rule and iudgement of reason it is an easie matter to offend and displease many and that in many things but not so easie to please them For there is but one onely reason or at leastwise it hath no great diuersitie in it But the naturall dispositions of men are infinite and wonderful
diuers and disagreeing yea cleane contrarie one to another And because there is nothing in all the life of man in which both good and euill are not mingled together or at leastwise some shew of them therefore also there is nothing that may not be taken both wayes eyther this or that way Whereupon that which pleaseth some displeaseth others beside that the want of the true knowledge of things and of examining throughly what good or euill is in euery one of them is the cause of this errour that beguileth men so But howsoeuer it be we ought to be very warie that we offend no man by doing euill and by turning aside from the dueties of true charitie And that which offendeth is so much the more grieuous as it pearceth more inwarde and deepe into the thing offended For the chiefest part of any thing is that which is most inward Wherefore that which entreth in so farre toucheth the quicke indeede and so offendeth and hurteth For this cause that offence and hurt is very grieuous but those offences that are in the will are greatest of all As for those that are in the reason they are not so grieuous and those that are in the other senses especially in the senses of the bodie are lesse then they Nay we thinke not our selues offended at all if our will be not offended Therefore we will suffer many things done by some which we will not abide in others according as we esteeme them to be friendes or enemies and as wee are well or ill affectioned towards them Likewise many things please vs that are done or vttered by our selues which would offend vs if they were spoken or done by others And forasmuch as there is no offence but where there is sense and feeling therefore they are soonest offended and most difficult to please that are most tender and delicate both of body and soule whether they be so naturally or through custome or of weaknesse And surely amongst all liuing creatures man is most testie and can suffer least For hee can beare with nothing and himselfe is intolerable to all Wherefore if all men generally be so harde to serue no marueile if there be nothing so well so iustly and holily spoken that can please a whole people or a great multitude But some are so accustomed to contemne all things that they are offended at euery thing and grieued without any iudgement or distinction Yea there are some to be found amongst them that thinke it a poynt of great wisedome to doe so and to like of nothing howe well soeuer it be done Nowe when men are ledde with such a frowarde and peeuish affection they are very carefull to enquire diligently into all things but with an vniust iudgement to see if they can finde any thing to condemne thinking thereby to shewe their great witte which notwithstanding none will commend but fooles and ignorant persons For they must needes be so who admire such a kinde of people whereas they ought thereby to be moued not onely to despise them but also to hate and condemne them For as we vse to speake in common prouerbe That it is an easier matter to reprehende then to imitate so it is easier for euery one to condemne all or to commende all indifferently then to discerne aright betweene the good and the euill and to giue a good iudgement thereof because there is none so ignoraunt or blockish or malicious which cannot doe the first with ease but the last is not so easily done but by men of good wittes and vpright of heart Nowe hauing saide that offence is the first sense and feeling of euill let vs shewe that it is not without certaine degrees by which it ascendeth vp higher The lowest degree then that is in it is simply to turne aside from that which displeaseth it and this degree may bee called Dislike or Trouble The next aboue that is when offence waxeth hote in it selfe and kindleth the heart in such sort that all the body is mooued therewith And when offence is as it were shut vp that it cannot range at will then it turneth into rage and offereth violence to it selfe extending it selfe euen vnto those that haue not offended it at all For it is stirred vp and waxeth sharpe in it selfe and by this meane it encreaseth more and more continually So that in the ende it is like to a madde dogge which byteth as many as it meeteth withall And although this affection doeth then testifie sufficiently that it sauoureth wholly of the corrupt nature of man neuerthelesse if it were well ordered and did not exceede measure it were commendable so that wee might iustly place it amongest the affections of nature beeing sound which ought to bee the seedes of vertues in vs. For God hath giuen it vnto man to the ende he shoulde presently withdrawe himselfe as soone as hee perceiueth any euill euen at the first taste and touch of it that so it may goe no farther least through custome he growe into a liking of euill and afterwarde followe it with might and mayne For if he sodainly retire as if he touched a serpent and feared to be bitten he will depart so farre from it that it cannot hurt him but if he stay in it and like it neuer so little hee cannot withdrawe himselfe in such due time but that hee shall feele some hurt thereby For euill is like to thornes which a man cannot come neere vnto or handle them but hee shall bee pricked as likewise no man can touch pitch and not be defiled therewith But the remedie to cure offence so farre foorth as it is vicious is the moderation of the heart whereby it becommeth so deepe and so well tempered that it is able with ease to swallow vp and to digest those troubles and offences which others can in no wise beare or endure But nowe that we know what this affection is we may easily conceiue howe it breedeth contempt For contempt is an offence and displeasure conceiued of some euill that cannot hurt and thereupon is esteemed to be vile and abiect So that it proceedeth of an euill whereof wee are not afraide For we vse not to despise them whome we feare but them onely of whome we make small account because they haue not abilitie to hurt vs howsoeuer they want no good will Therefore although wee desire not to doe him good whome wee despise yet wee will not hurt him if there bee in vs but onely a simple contempt of him Wee thinke it enough for vs to mocke him and to shew what small account wee make of him and what small regard is to be had vnto him Heereof it is that proude persons are such great despisers and mockers of others For seeing they esteeme of none but of themselues it cannot bee but that they disdaine others and so consequently mocke them For derision and mockerie followe contempt and they are expressed by manie
it is cleane contrary in regarde of euilles For they quickely finde whereupon to stay and to plant themselues within vs and to spreade their rootes so deepe and broade that they cannot easily be plucked vp Whereupon they are felt a great deale more and continue longer in our heart and memory Not without cause then doe men say that the pleasures seruices and good things done vnto vs are madeof feathers and therefore they are easily carried away by reason of their lightnesse but offences euilles and displeasures are made of lead and therefore they abide in the bottome of the heart by reason of their waight And forasmuch as loue proceedeth of that which is good and hatred of euill whether it bee euill in trueth or in opinion onely as euill is commonly greater and of longer continuance then Good for the causes spoken of so is it with Loue and Hatred and with their rootes and long abode Now of Hatred commeth backebiting and euill speaking which being kindled bringeth foorth bitternesse and crueltie and as loue whetteth a man on to doe well so contrariwise Hatred turneth men aside from well doing and prouoketh them to hurt For this cause it soweth the seedes of enmitie and laboureth craftily to cause the party hated to fall into danger For it desireth to hurt him and to bring euill vpon him either by it selfe or by an other secretely or openly In a worde seeing it is wholly contrary to Loue wee may without any long discourse knowe the nature thereof by that which hath beene spoken of the nature of Loue taking it cleane contrary thereunto But let vs see whether the affection of hatred bee altogether together euill of it selfe or whether a man may reape any profite thereby We may say of this as we did of anger and of other affections already spoken of For it is giuen to man to cause him to withdrawe himselfe from all euill that may hurt him to flee from it and to repell it as being contrary vnto him Therefore Saint Paul sayeth Hate that which is euill and cleaue to that which is good For true and perfect hatred shoulde hate nothing but that which is euill indeede as true loue shoulde loue that onely which is good indeede But contrariwise wee commonly hate the Good and good men and loue the Euill and the workers thereof Besides wee are faulty in this that in steade of hating mens vices wee hate their persons Wherefore it is needefull that in this matter of Hatred wee shoulde put that in practice which wee haue already saide of Anger namely that wee shoulde aboue all things hate our owne vices and that euill which is in vs and in ours But wee that practise the cleane contrary change Loue into Hatred and Hatred into Loue. For when wee supporte and beare with our owne vices or with the vices of our friendes and kinsemen which are not to be suffered or borne withall it seemeth that this toleration proceedeth from the loue wee beare either to our selues or to others but it is farre otherwise For if wee loued our selues well and our neighbours as our selues wee woulde bee carefull to remooue all hurtefull things farre from our soules and to furnish them with that which is conuenient and wholsome for them and so likewise for our friendes whereas wee procure vnto them that which turneth to their dishonour hurt and ouerthrowe by nourishing them in their vices through our dissembling and bearing with them And thus much for that profite which wee may receiue by this affection of hatred being well guided according vnto the will of GOD and to a sound and reasonable nature Nowe against the passion of euill Hatred amongest a great number of remedies which may very well bee applied thereunto we haue two principall ones that are very good and profitable The first remedie is the example of the loue of GOD and of Iesus Christ towardes vs of which wee haue spoken already with those holie Preceptes which doe commaunde Loue and forbidde Hatred The second remedie is the contempt of all earthly things and the regarde that is to be had vnto the things that are Celestiall and Eternall For if wee shall set light by all mortall and corruptible things and lift vp our heartes to higher thinges wee shall verie easilie breake off all hatred and enmitie neither wil we take any thing greatly to heart but when we see God offended Now as concerning Enuy that alwayes accompanieth hatred it is an affection quite contrary to mercy which is a sorrowe conceiued by reason of the miseries of an other whereas Enuy is a griefe arising of other mens felicitie Therefore it doth naturally reioyce at another mans harme and is grieued at his good so that according to the varietie of good things that may befall other men so there are diuers kinds of Enuy. For first some are enuious when other mens profite is so great that it hindreth theirs There is also a kinde of enuy at the wellfare of another which albeit it neither hurt nor hinder vs yet wee are grieued because the like is not befallen to vs or not rather to vs or not aswell to vs as to another to whome it is happened And this is a spice of couetousnesse There is yet a third kinde of Enuy which maketh vs vnwilling that others shoulde obtaine that good which wee haue or which wee desire or haue wished for but coulde not get it And when the question is of those good things which it seemeth we shuld enioy but doe not or which we thinke belong to vs but are bestowed vpon others then is our enuy greater and may also be called iealousie Moreouer there is a fourth kinde that is worst of all to which the name of Enuy agreeth more properly as being often bredde of the former kindes when a man giueth them the bridle and suffereth them to raigne too much ouer him This enuy is a griefe conceiued at anothers good without any regard of it owne profite but onely because it iudgeth it selfe hurt when others receiue good or do good And this is the very enuy of the Deuil and of his children which is an affection that is mingled of hatred and of ioy For it hateth vertue and reioyceth at vice and at the prosperitie of the wicked Contrariwise it is grieued at the felicitie of good men and glad of their miseries But what kinde soeuer of enuy is in a man there is in him griefe and as it were a biting that gnaweth him by reason that the heart in this affection shrinketh in as it were and closeth vp it selfe at the good and benefit of another So that sorrowe is alwayes ioyned therewith The goods against which enuy rusheth most are such as are in greatest reputation amongst men as honour and glory insomuch that it is more moued at the good renowme honour and praise giuen to men in respect of the good things that are in them
heart and first of Reuenge Crueltie and Rage And because Reuenge is appointed to punish offences and euery vice findeth a Iudge within it selfe wee will speake also of the affection of Shame which commonly followeth euery vile acte It belongeth therefore to thee AMANA to intreate of this matter Of Reuenge Crueltie and Rage and what agreement there is among them what Shame and Blushing is and why God hath placed these affections in man and of the good and euill that is in them Chap. 58. AMANA If euery one might be a Iudge in his owne cause and execute his own decrees the malice of men doth declare sufficiently that there would be no iustice obserued in the world but robbery publikely put in practice insomuch as the strongest would alwayes carry away the spoile For that blind loue which euery one beareth towards himselfe causeth vs that we cannot see clearly either into our owne or or into other mens affaires so that wee are alwayes more ready to doe wrong to others then to depart from anie thing of our owne Euen so if wee might be suffered to reuenge those iniuries which oftentimes without cause wee suppose wee haue receiued it is certaine wee woulde obserue neither measure nor meane but suffering our selues to be guided by the passion of anger and wrath wee would fall into more then brutish crueltie and rage For as God hath reserued vengeance to himselfe and promised to recompense it so no man carrieth that minde to doe it iustly that is in him neither indeede can any because it is the spirite of a man that offereth iniury to an other whereas the body is but the instrument of the minde and as it were a sworde vnto it which the spirite manageth and causeth to cutte Whereupon it followeth that the party offended can not reuenge himselfe of his chiefest and greatest enemy For God onely is able to take vengeance of the soule and to throwe it together with the body into hell fire Moreouer when wee thinke to hurt the body of our enemy which is but the executioner of the euill disposition of his Spirite wee hurt our owne soule making it guiltie of the iudgement of God who forbiddeth vs all reuenge and commaundeth vs to possesse our soules in patience and neuer to requite euill for euill but to waite the Lordes leasure being assuredly perswaded that he will saue and deliuer vs. Nowe looke what the affection receiueth and embraceth the same doeth it desire to returne and send backe againe where it did receiue it whether it be good or euill Therefore as a good affection both wisheth and doeth well to him of whome it receiueth good will and beneficence so a naughty affection desireth to returne euill receiued vnto him of whome it hath receiued it For this cause when the heart is wounded with griefe by any one it desireth to returne the like to him that hath hurt it and to rebite him of whome it is bitten This affection is a desire of reuenge which being put in execution is reuenge accomplished namely when wee cause him that hath offended vs to suffer that punishment which in our iudgement he hath deserued This punishment is to damnifie him eyther in soule or in body or in his goodes yea sometimes by all the meanes that may bee And when power to reuenge is wanting there are some that fall into outrageous speeches into horrible and execrable cursings crying out for vengeance eyther at GODS hand or of some other that can perfourme it Euery offence therefore that ingendereth hatred anger enuy or indignation bringeth with it a desire of reuenge which is to render euill for euil and to requite griefe receiued with the like againe And when the offence is growen to that passe that nothing can asswage the extremitie thereof nor stay it from breaking foorth into reuenge and hurting by all the meanes that may bee then is this Reuenge turned into Rage For a man in such a case is not much vnlike to a madde dogge For because Reuenge can not take that effect which it woulde haue it vexeth and closeth vp as it were the hart bringing great griefe great torment to the whole body so that a man so affected is as if his heart body were ready to burst asunder Nowe when the heart is hardened with Reuenge it is turned into Crueltie which is a priuation of pitie and compassion For when Offence and Anger are set on fire they exclude all good thoughtes out of the minde and perswade to all kinde of Crueltie of which there are three degrees For there are some that procure it who neuerthelesse woulde not execute it themselues There are others that execute it Besides there is a third kinde of Crueltie when wee faile in perfourming our duetie towardes them that are in necessitie whome wee both ought and might helpe and succour whether this come of euill will or through negligence For thereby wee shewe that wee are without pitie and compassion Heereof followeth inhumanitie which is as if wee shoulde lay aside all humane affection and bee transfourmed into brute beasts Therefore wee may well conclude that all priuate Reuenge proceeding of enuy or of hatred or of anger is vicious and forbidden by God who commaundeth vs to render good for euill and not euill for euill For hee hath ordained the meanes whereby hee will haue vengeance execucuted among men Therefore hee hath appointed Magistrates to execute it according to his Lawe and following his ordinaunce not with any euill affection but with iust indignation proceeding from loue and from true zeale of iustice For to punish the wicked is a very acceptable sacrifice so that there be no intermingling of our own passions withall and that wee exercise not our enuies rancours and reuenges vnder the name and title of Iustice and of the glorie of God For if wee doe so wee cease to exercise the punishments and corrections of the Lorde and put our owne in practice Wee must therefore followe his example For hee suffereth not euill to goe vnpunished if men auoide not punishment by his grace and mercie and by those meanes which he hath appointed for the obtaining thereof Therefore it is often saide of the wicked in the Scripture that GOD will returne into their bosome the euill which they haue done and his children and seruantes desire him also to perfourme the same But when hee doeth it hee is not mooued with any euill affection but onely with the loue hee beareth to iustice and vertue and to his children and with pity and compassion towardes them in regarde of the iniuries done vnto them And as himselfe commeth in iudgement to take vengeance so hee woulde haue them that supplie his place among men vnto whome hee hath committed the sworde for the defence of the good and punishment of euill doers to followe his example But whether they doe so or no there is no sinne that can auoide
be afraide of that shame which the wicked think to bring vpon vs but rather account it honourable and glorious Yea themselues shall bee ashamed and confounded when their vices and vile actions shal be discouered by our honestie and vertue whereas if we ioyne with them we shall cause them to bee voyde of shame when they doe ill yea they will boast and vaunt of it before vs. But enough of this matter Now forasmuch as arrogant and proude persons are farthest off from vsing aright any of those affections of the heart of which wee haue hitherto discoursed especially of shame I am of opinion that we are to looke into the nature and effects of the passion of pride Therefore ARAM this shal be the subiect of thy discourse Of Pride with the consideration thereof as well in nature entire as corrupted of the originall thereof and of such as are most inclined therevnto what vices accompanie it how great a poison it is and what remedie there is for it Chap. 59. ARAM. There is nothing more easie then for a man to deceiue himselfe For looke what a man earnestly desireth hee supposeth it is alreadie as it were come to passe or at least hee promiseth to himselfe that he shal easily obtaine it But oftentimes things fall out otherwise then men looke or hope for Now the chiefe cause of their errour heerein is that presumption which commonly they haue of their owne wisedome and vertue whereby they are lift vp with vaine confidence and puffed vp with pride For when men are caried away with an inordinate and blinde loue of themselues they are soone perswaded that there is nothing in them worthy to be despised yea they thinke that their ignorance is wisedome insomuch that knowing nothing they suppose they know all things and hauing no dexteritie to performe one commendable work they presume very inconsideratly to set their hand to euery great matter But the more care diligence they bestow being led with a desire to shew great skil and thinking to winne honour and renowne so much the more they discouer their ignorance and blockishnes purchasing to themselues shame and infamie Now the trueth of God teacheth vs to consider otherwise of our selues namely that we want both sound vnderstanding and strength also to accomplish any good thing Which knowledge ought to keep vs backe from all presumption and ouerweening of our owne wisedome and strength and take from vs all matter of pride and glorie to leade vs vnto modestie and humilitie This rule wee ought to follow if we will attaine to the white of good iudgement and well doing Now as shame and confusion is bredde of some vile and dishonest fact as we haue heard so vice fetcheth his beginning from pride I call pride a puffing vp of the soule and heart proceeding from the opinion of some excellent good thing in vs more then is in others whereby a man is in estimation honour whether this good thing be present past or to come But we are to consider of two fountains and first causes of this inflation and affection of the heart namely of one that proceedeth from nature pure and intire and of another that commeth from nature as it is corrupted So that we may boldly say that there is a kind of pride which is no vice but a vertue or at leastwise the seede of vertue For there was no vicious or euill thing in the first nature as it was created of God but euery thing in it was vertuous and the seed of vertue as we haue alreadie shewed in the former discourses alreadie made by vs. Wherefore that naturall pride of man beeing such as hee should haue beene if hee had continued in his first nature woulde bee an excellent vertue and as it were the mother of all the rest whereas nowe it is the most vgly and monstrous vice that can bee founde in the whole nature of man corrupted by meanes of which it is become the father of all vices and sinnes For seeing GOD hath done this honour to man aboue all other bodily creatures as to create him in regarde of his soule of a celestiall and diuine nature for which cause the verie Heathen affirme that mankinde is of the linage and parentage of God hee woulde not haue him ignoraunt of the excellencie of his beeing and of those great and woonderfull benefites which hee hath receiued of him in his creation and of which hee hath made him partaker chiefely for three causes The first to this ende that knowing what grace and honour God his Creatour hath bestowed vpon him hee might be moued continually to acknowledge and honour him as it becommeth him The second to the ende that knowing the excellencie of his nature and of the stocke from whence hee came hee shoulde loue himselfe in God his Creator and in him thinke himselfe woorthie of true goodes euen of the greatest and most excellent that may bee namely of heauenly and eternall goodes and that hee shoulde knowe that hee was created for them and that through the knowledge and consideration thereof he might be prouoked to wish for and to desire them with great courage The thirde that by this meanes hee might feare to degenerate from so high and noble a linage as that is from whence hee is descended and to fall from so high a degree of honour and dignitie into dishonour and shame and to loose those excellent goodes whereunto hee was allotted if hee committed any thing vnbeseeming so noble and so excellent a nature as was the nature of God according to the image of which hee was creted This then is that holie pride which ought naturally to remaine in man and whereby hee might well haue desired to bee like vnto GOD especially in goodnesse and that by those onelie meanes by which the Lorde woulde haue him bee brought vnto this similitude and which himselfe had taught him namely obedience and that so farre as was agreeable and meete for his nature But our first parentes giuing eare to him who first degenerated from this holie pride vnder colour of beeyng equall not to the goodnes but to the power and greatnes of God were soon perswaded to beleeue the promise which this lyar had made vnto them of a farre greater and more excellent estate then was that wherin God had created them insomuch as their humilitie and obedience whereby they were vnited and conioyned in great glory with God was turned into arrogancie and disobedience Whereupon doubting of the trueth of Gods worde they hearkened to the Diuels counsel propounded vnto themselues the selfe same meanes and degrees to make themselues equall with God their Creator which this wretch and his angels had taken before and whereby he fell from the highest estate of glorie to the most bottomlesse gulfe of miserie And this is that bastardly and earthly pride that is entred into mans nature of which it is saide That pride is
appeare vnto vs and contrariwise the more pure and thinne it is the brighter and more shining it will shew it selfe vnto vs. Nowe for this matter wee must call to minde what wee heard concerning the generation of spirites both Vitall and Animall in those discourses of the nature and office of the heart And as they are thinne vapours engendered of blood concocted and sette on fire through the vertue of the heart that they might bee as it were little flames hauing diuers actions in diuers members so according to the puritie and impuritie of the blood in the composition of the bodie wee are to iudge of the spirites that proceede from them And albeeit they haue all one and the same fountaine namely the heart in which they are bredde neuerthelesse they change according to those places and members wherein they woorke and being so changed they haue diuers and seuerall actions Wee vnderstand then by the Vitall spirite a little flame bredde and borne in the heart of the purest blood whose office is to carie naturall heate to the other members and to giue them vertue and strength to put in practise those actions and offices which they exercise by the same heat It hath beene tolde vs also before that the arteries serue to carie this vitall spirite to all the members But wee are farther to learne that when the vitall spirites bredde in the heart are in part transported to the braine others are engendered of them which are called Animall spirites in that sence in which wee called those Animall faculties and powers from whence the Soule deriueth her vessels and instrumentes in the brayne For after the spirites sent by the heart are come thither they are made more cleane and bright through the vertue of the braine and agreeable to the temperament thereof and then beeing infused into the brayne by meanes of the sinewes they are insteade of a light whereby the actions of the sences are incited and stirred vp as also those motions which are from place to place And as wee haue hearde that a good temperature of the blood and of other humours doeth much helpe forwarde and profite the manners and conditions of men the same may bee saide of the heart and of the spirites proceeding from the same For when the heart is in good temper so that it is not troubled either with anger or sadnesse or any other euill affection it is manifest that the spirites are a great deale the better in the braine Nowe let vs consider the woonderfull woorke of God wrought in man by meanes of the Vitall and Animall spirites For what are the chiefe actions effected in him Are they not the preseruation of life nourishment and generation and then sense and motion with cogitation and the affections of the heart And what were all these thinges without spirites Hence it commeth that in the holy Scriptures the heart is taken for the fountaine not onely of life but also of all the actions of men as it hath beene alreadie declared vnto vs. And for this cause also some haue sayde that these spirites and little Vitall and Animall flames were the soule it selfe or the immediate instrument thereof that is to say the verie next whereby it woorketh immediately so that there is none betwixt them twayne But the latter is more certaine and more agreeable to trueth then the former For if the soule were nothing else but the Vitall and Animall spirites it shoulde fayle and perish with them as the bodily life doeth and so it shoulde not bee immortall But seeing they are but the instruments thereof as the humours of the bodie are and namely the blood from which they proceede the soule can well bee without them albeeit they cannot bee without it and although it cannot without them perfourme the woorkes it doeth with and by them And forasmuch as God hath giuen them to bee as it were a light it is certaine that the light of these surmounteth the light of the Sunne Moone or starres and that all these lights haue great agreement one with another But it is yet a farre more woonderfull woorke of GOD when not onelie the soule vseth these instrumentes for the life of man but also when the celestiall spirite ioyneth it selfe vnto them vsing them in the elect and making them more cleere by his heauenly light that the knowledge of God might bee more euident that their assuraunce and trust in him might bee more firme and that all the motions of his children might bee kindeled the more towardes him So likewise the euill spirite knoweth well howe to take occasion by the badde temperature of the humors to abuse men as wee haue alreadie declared thereby to set forwarde their ruine when hee possesseth the heart troubleth and poysoneth the spirites in that and in the brayne Whereupon hee attempteth to hinder reason and iudgement to bring men to furie and madnesse and to thrust forwarde their heart and their other members to committe foule and execrable factes Whereof wee haue examples in the furie of Saul and in his death in the death of Achitophel of Iudas and of manie others whome hee hath brought to slaye themselues as likewise in manie other horrible factes dayly committed by men Therefore it is very requisite that wee shoulde diligently consider our nature and bee carefull to gouerne and guide it well Wee are to knowe that our spirites are the habitations of the holy spirite and therefore wee are to pray to God through his sonne Christ Iesus to repell and keepe backe euill spirites farre from vs and to inspire his diuine and celestiall spirite into our spirites heartes and mindes that it may guide and gouerne them And this agreeth verie fitly with that prayer which wee hearde alreadie vttered by Saint Paul touching the entire sanctification of the whole man whome hee diuided into spirite soule and bodie So that if wee haue throughly tasted of the former discourses as well concerning the nature of the bodie as of the soule wee may perceiue wherefore the Apostle hath thus diuided the whole man For first wee cannot doubt but that the soule beeing the principall Woorker is such a substaunce and nature as dwelleth in a bodie apt and meete to receiue life in I speake this purposely because all sortes of bodies are not capable of soule and life and they that are capable are not yet capable of euerie kinde of soule and life but onelie of such as are agreeable to their nature hauing those instrumentes in themselues which may bee vsed by them according to their nature Wherefore the soule of man must of necessitie haue another bodie with other instruments and of another nature then the soule of beastesmay haue and the soule of beastes another then the soule of plantes according as euerie one of them differeth from other both in nature and offices But of what nature soeuer eyther the soule or the bodie is the soule hath this
God and men and were accompted and taken for demy-gods And these are those vertues which the philosophers by experience find to be in the reasonable soule which are no fained or imaginatiue but true vertues neither are they found in the soule of beasts as those are of which we spake in the first place Wherfore albeit man hath the vertue of desiring common with beasts yet he hath reason to moderate his desires which is wanting in beasts Nowe al this doctrine touching the vertues of the soule accordeth well with the doctrine of Christianitie so farre foorth as the soule agreeth with that nature in which it was first created of God But that which the Astrologians affirme of the influences and infusion of vertues into the soule by the planets as we heard I take it to be a bird of their owne braine whereby they attribute to the creatures that which belongeth to the Creator only For although he vseth the creatures according to that order which he hath placed in them neuertheles when the question is of the reasonable soule wee must ascend vp higher then the heauens vnto which it can not be subiect as the body is seeing it is of a farre more excellent nature For how should the heauens starres and planets giue that to the soule which themselues haue not I verely beleeue that when God created the soule of the first man placed it in his body that was before created of the nature and substance of the corruptible elemēts he took not those vertues with which he indued and adorned it either from the heauens or from the planets And seeing he created al mankind in this first mā after his image which he imprinted in his soule no doubt but that which yet remaineth in mans soule proceedeth from the same fountaine as also what euil soeuer is befallen since whereby this image abode not perfect it proceedeth from sinne and from the nature of man corrupted by sinne and not from the heauens or planets And as the Astrologians easily beleeue whatsoeuer they haue imagined touching this point and woulde haue the will of man subiect to their influences and constellations so the other Philosophers abuse themselues greatly in magnifying the vertues of the soule more then they ought to be esteemed in this corrupt estate of mans nature not iudging the corruption to be so great as it is Heereof it is also that they faile in regarde of vertue which they attribute altogether to the libertie of man as if he coulde by his owne vertue moderate his affections make himselfe iust and righteous Which fault proceedeth from hence in that they content themselues with a iustice that seemeth so to be before men and put no difference betweene diuine and humane iustice that is betwixt that which is able to stand approoue it selfe in the iudgement of God and that which men approoue For there is no iustice able to satisfie the iudgement of God but that of Iesus Christ which it pleaseth him to impute vnto his children and in regard thereof to accompt them iust But let vs returne to our matter We haue further to note that besides the forenamed vertues the Platonists attribute to the soule foure others which they cal contemplatiue vertues as those that belong to the contemplatiue life vnto which they are referred by them The first is named the purgation or second death of the soule for the first death of it say they is her descending into the body of man into which it is throwen as it were into a prison in a maner buried in vices Therefore they say that the soule standeth in neede of this second death whereby she being purged from her vices is as it were dead vnto them that shee may liue vnto vertue The second kind of these vertues is called pure or purified because the soule being purged from all her euill affections exerciseth good works by the same The third is called by them an exemplarie or patterne-vertue in the minde of God whereby they meane that as God conceiueth and knoweth the Idaeas kindes and images of all sensible intelligible things so he sendeth downe from heauen this vertue into the soule of man who is thereby purged and purified as we haue alreadie heard And for the last they adde a fourth vertue which they account greatest and chiefest aboue the other and therefore they call it Diuine because it bringeth to the soule a vertue to doe more then humane workes euen such as we call miraculous works Which foure kindes of vertues appeare euidently to haue beene drawen by them from christian doctrine but yet disguised after their fashion As touching the first it agreeth to that which the worde of God teacheth vs of regeneration and mortification of the flesh whereby wee die to sinne and to the deuill that we may liue to righteousnesse and to God The second agreeth to good woorkes proceeding of faith which being done in the same purifie the heart and to christian holinesse which accompanieth and followeth iustification by faith The third agreeth to giftes and graces inspited by the holy Ghost and to the infusion of them into the soules of Gods true seruants and the fourth agreeth to the giftes of prophecie and to that vertue of working miracles which hath beene heeretofore in the holie Prophets Apostles and Disciples of Iesus Christ But to conclude this whole point wee are to obserue this that what praise soeuer may bee giuen to the Platonicall Diuinitie yet it is in no respect to bee compared with Christian Philosophie because this is pure and true and endited by the Spirite of GOD but the other impure disguised and counterfaited by men who haue mingled with their Philosophie many things which they coulde eyther heare or learne out of the holie Scripture Moreouer as concerning the whole doctrine of the Philosophers touching the nature and vertues of the soule we may truely say that of it selfe it reacheth higher then those politicke vertues of which we made mention euen now For when a ciuil good and wise man hath attained to that politicke vertue and to the highest degree thereof he is able to goe no farther except hee be holpen elsewhere euen by the illumination of the holy Spirite And indeede all those other vertues of the soule propounded by the Platonists are but dreames and opinions in the ayre by which the Spirite of errour laboureth to disguise the doctrine of the holie Scriptures which leadeth vs to those true supernaturall vertues which the soule receiueth by the inspiration and infusion of the giftes and graces of the holie Spirite who is the true Doctour of whom wee must learne this Philosophie which is not naturall but supernaturall Nowe then being instructed and guided by him hauing discoursed of the creation and nature of the soule let vs enter into this goodly field of the immortalitie thereof in which we knowe there are many ranged battailes of enemies who waite to
enter into the combat with vs. It belongeth therfore to thee ACHITOB to beginne the skirmish How men can haue no certaine resolution of th'immortalitie of the soule but by the Word of God of the peruersenesse of Epicures and Atheists in this matter Of the chiefe causes that hinder men from beleeuing the immortalitie of the soule and of their blockishnes and euill iudgement therein How wee must seeke for the Image of God after which man was created in his soule Chap. 88. ACHITOB. We are now fallen into a time which discouereth vnto vs not onely false religions but euen an Atheisme that is farre worse For they that are altogether without Religion are farther distâ—â—t from true pietie then they that follow a false religion and yet at this day there are as many or moe that declare themselues to be Atheists and Epicures as there bee of such as are taken for good Christians And if in outward shew they pretend some exercise of Religion it is but to couer themselues with the vaile thereof to the ende they might not bee esteemed and accompted for such as they are in trueth But in their heart and with their companions they doe but make a mocke of the holy Scriptures and of al those testimonies that we haue in them of another life besides this of Heauen of hell of the blessed immortalitie and eternall death of the soule Now it is an easie matter to conuince such felowes of error and lies But this is a thing worthy to be bewayled in all the affaires opinions and counsailes of men that when any question ariseth of the trueth and of that which is Good no proofes or testimonies how rich or of howe great authoritie soeuer they bee seeme sufficient to vs and worthy to bee beleeued And yet if the question be of any euil falsehood and lyes no testimony how slender and bad soeuer it be but satisfieth vs very well For by reason that we are euil and ignorant ful of blindnesse and darkenesse by nature we are alwayes the readier to follow that which is like our selues namely wickednes and falsehood lies and error as we see it by experience in Atheists and Epicures and in all infidels and scorners of God and of his Word For there are many skilfull in Artes and humane learning and in naturall Philosophie who reprehend and condemne Epicurus Lucretius Pliny and other such like Philosophers Epicures and Atheists in that which they haue taught and written of naturall things belonging to this life and call them ignorant men and voyd of experience But in that which they haue spoken against the prouidence of God the immortalitie of soules and all Religion abolishing them wholie by their false doctrines and by Philosophie they imbrace and praise them for the skilfullest and most excellent Philosophers that euer were as hauing deliuered men from the greatest torments that could seaze vpon them and brought vnto them the greatest good that could befall them by taking from them all feare of God of hell and of all punishment after this life and all opinion and hope of Paradice and of a better life after this In a worde they extoll them as if they onely had found the beane in the cake as wee vse to say and as if they onely deserued to be the Kings of beanes among their fellowes Forasmuch then as we are entred into this matter of the immortalitie of the soule and seeing at this day so many Atheists herein followe the opinions of these Epicurian Philosophers before named I say not onely more then they doe all the best Philosophers but also then the authoritie of the holy Scriptures and the testimonie of God in them we cannot gather too many arguments whereby at leastwise to cause them to ponder the matter more diligently if they will not be confounded wholy by naturall reasons seeing they make so small reckoning of that celestial and heauenly doctrine It is true that it will bee a very hard and difficult matter to perswade such in this point as giue no more credite to this testimonie of the word of God then they doe to all humaine and naturall reasons that can bee alleadged vnto them For although the arguments of those Philosophers that maintaine the immortalitie of the soule are strong and waightie yet they can neuer wholy and fully assure men of their immortalitie except this testimonie of God take all doubting from them But that argument of all others is most forcible which hee hath giuen vnto vs in the resurrection of Iesus Christ whereby his soule was vnited againe vnto his body and so wrought those heauenly workes which followed his resurrection and ascention into heauen and namely by the gift of the holy Ghost which hee sent vnto his Apostles and by the effects thereof which according to the promise of Iesus Christ appeared so great and manifest throughout the whole world and that in so short a time that no prudence wisdome skill eloquence authoritie power or force of man was able to hinder that vertue or the course of the Gospel But because Epicures and Atheists accompt these things for fables and are of so peruerse and monstrous a nature that they had rather sight against nature it selfe and cleane to the worst opinions most vnworthy the nature of man then to follow the reasons of the best Philosophers grounded vpon a more sure foundation let vs at leastwise put them to some further trouble by vrging them to be fully resolued in that opinion which is contrary to the immortality of the soule For certainly I doubt not but they wil be alwaies without resolution And in deed froÌ„ wheÌ„ce should they fetch this resolution of theirs seeing they haue no certaine ground of their false opinion and seeing there are so many and so forcible reasons to the contrary But wee must note that the principall cause that keepeth men from beleeuing the immortalitie of the soule is partly their ignorance partly their malice and peruersenesse For some there are so blockish that they measure all things according to the knowledge and reach of their bodilie senses so that they set downe with themselues to beleeue nothing but that which they are able to knowe and perceiue by them Others there are who besides this are so wicked and peruerse that they would not onely haue their soules not to bee immortall but wish also that there were no God to the ende they might haue no Iudge For by reason they are so wholly addicted to the worlde and to their carnall pleasures they would haue no other God or other life after this but wish that all life might end with their delights and the soule with the body that so they might haue no accompt to make to any Iudge Therefore they are of that number whereof mention is made in the Booke of Wisedome who make these discourses saying Our life is short and tedious and in the death of a man there is no
good and wise man against all the miseries that can befall him in this world if he knoweth and is assuredly perswaded that there is a resting place prepared for him not therein to be depriued of all sense of good and euill as they imagine who seeke for rest in death without all hope of another life but a place of happines for them that with a good heart and Will haue giuen themselues to vertue and holinesse which is appointed by God who is aliust almightie and algood For what rest can that thing find which is not at all So that if man bee no more after the death of the bodie then death cannot bring him any rest at all And therefore wee may say of this rest that as God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing according to the testimonie of Iesus Christ so rest is not for them that are not but for them that are For rest presupposeth a beeing because the thing it selfe must needes be as well as the rest that belongeth to it otherwise neither of them both should haue any being Thus then we may iudge after so many reasons taken from nature and hauing had so many testimonies as haue hitherto beene alleged from the authoritie and sayings of men on which side the truth is most certaine whether with them who haue all good and wise men on their side or with the other who haue none but foolish and wicked men Wee haue then in this matter which now wee follow the iudgement authoritie and sentence of all the greatest and most excellent men in the world with the greatest and chiefest part of all mankinde Vnto whose testimony we may further adde religion iustice holines and all vertues which are so grounded and laide vpon the immortalitie of mans soule that if this foundation bee taken from them they are altogether ouerthrowen For albeit they haue their chiefest foundation in God neuerthelesse he hath so ordained and ordered them that they cannot take place if there be no immortalitie of soules and that for the reasons alreadie declared It followeth then well that trueth is on their side For trueth will rather stande for them then for vices villanies and notorious wickednesse vnto which the mortality of the soule is more agreeable then the immortalitie And if all the Philosophers were not able to attaine to the knowledge of the soules nature nor define the immortalitie thereof wee ought not to bee greatly abashed if such as were most ignorant vile and abiect of them as they are called by some of the best of the Ancients abused themselues so grossely and spake so vnreuerently seeing many of the greater sort and of good account fell so shamefully and shewed themselues to be woorser then beastes in some things whereof a man may iudge by the outwarde senses For haue there not some beene founde who albeeit they sawe the snowe white yet they durst maintaine that it was blacke and that pepper was white and although they felt the fire hote and burning yet affirmed that it was colde But for this time let vs leaue the opinions of Philosophers and speake somewhat of them who although they doe not beleeue the immortalitie of soules nor yet all that is spoken of GOD or of religion say notwithstanding that it is good for the life of man that men shoulde bee of that opinion without which humane societie could not be kept inuiolable neither would men do any thing as they ought if they were not as it were with a bridle kept backe by this feare that there is another life after this and that there are gods to take vengeance of such as haue done euill And therefore they say that feare ws the first that made gods Heereof they conclude that religion is nothing but onely in opinion yea that it is nothing else but superstition which proceedeth from this foolish opinion But seeing this errour serueth for the benefit of mans life it is good say they to vpholde it and to confirme men therein And they that vse this speech are none of them that are taken to bee fooles and ignoraunt persons but of the greater and skilfuller sort of people yea of the wisest men of the worlde according to the iudgement of men For when wee speake of good men and such as are wise wee must iudge of them according to the matter which wee handle and according to the iudgement of God in his worde Therefore if according to this reason wee iudge of these men of whome wee nowe speake they shall be found to be the grosest and most blockish beasts that the earth beareth For all science wisedome and greatnes separated from vertue are not the things themselues indeed but brutishnesse rather and vile basenesse And if we iudge otherwise what is all the knowledge wisedome greatnesse that is in all men in respect of that which is in one Deuil onely For what want the deuils from being Angels like to those blessed Angels that continue still in their obedience vnto God If there be any question made for greatnesse of spirite they are all spirite If for such wisedome and knowledge as the cunning and wise men of this worlde haue of whome haue worldly wise men learned their skill but of them in comparison of whom they are but young schollers If the question bee for greatnesse what King or Prince in the worlde is so great as they For who is called the prince of this worlde by Iesus Christ the God of this worlde by Saint Paul principalities powers worldly gouernours and the princes of the darknesse of this worlde Are not the deuils so called who rule and gouerne the great ones of the whole worlde that are great indeede according to men but not according God What then doe they want of beeing celestiall Angels but vertue and goodnesse But because these men of whome wee speake nowe beleeue not that there are Angels or diuels wee will beate them with other arguments For of these men also there bee some that say wee must hue as the most doe but followe the opinion of the fewest Nowe then when they woulde haue men to bee perswaded to vertue and to doe their duetie by lying and errour namely by intertayning in them an opinion of religion and of a second life although there bee no such thing is not this a very proper meanes to call all trueth into question and to trample all vertue vnder foote For if any propounde the immortalitie of soules vnto men not as if it were a true matter but as a fayned and false thing which yet they would haue them beleeue as true to the ende that through the feare of Gods iudgement they might bee kept backe from euill and lead vnto goodnesse euerie one may guesse easily howe men will dispence with themselues when they once knowe that whatsoeuer is spoken and propounded vnto them is but as a scarre-crowe to make them afraide as wee vse to
knowledge of God and obedience to his will bringeth to our heart wee may also iudge whether there be a paradise and another life and other ioy besides this which we receiue by corporall pleasures as beasts doe For this ioy that commeth to vs from such pleasures is common to vs with them vsually it endeth in sorowe and sadnesse But they haue no other that commeth vnto their soule of which they may haue any appehension as we haue And by the same consideration we may also in some sort iudge of that happines in which we shall be in the other life when this ioy shal be perfect in vs wherof we haue here but a very smal taste in respect of that we shal haue when we shal be fully reformed according to Gods image so that both our vnderstanding reason wil shal be made cōformable vnto him because we shal be wholy swallowed vp in his loue Contrariwise if here we feele a Hel which we cary about vs and which greatly tormenteth vs after we haue offended the maiesty of God especially when we haue cōmitted some horrible crimes this also is another argument whereby we may iudge whether there be not a Hel and vengeance from God to be executed vpon his enemies in another life For that sorow which our crimes committed doe breede in our hearts is within vs as a brand of this fire of Gods wrath which is daily kindled in vs more more Wherfore if there be in vs already such a vehemēt heat thereof when as yet the Lord doeth kindle but a litle the fire-brands of his wrath in our heartes how great shal it then be when all his wrath shal be set on fire Certainly they are very dull that doe not well consider and vnderstand it Now we haue heard heretofore how the heathen Philosophers concluded the immortalitie of mans soule by the nature thereof affirming that it is not created or compounded of corruptible matter but is of a celestiall and diuine nature by reason of that knowledge which it hath not onely of particular and corporal things as the soule of beastes hath but also of vniuersall and spirituall things and namely of God of numbers of order of the difference betweene vertue and vice and betweene honest and dishonest things For the knowledge of al these things is so naturall to mens soules that they are within them albeit they haue not receiued thē from without eyther by doctrine or instruction Whereby a man may easily iudge yea it followeth necessarily that they are created of a more excellent nature then is that of the elements of a nature that is incorruptible and perpetuall Wherefore it is verie euident that this knowledge thus naturall to mens soules is a certaine testimonie that they are not borne at all aduenture but are created by great arte and by a woonderfull prouidence of that diuine and eternall nature by which they haue their beeing namely God their Creatour for which cause also the knowledge of him shineth in vs. So also we may well iudge that God hath not in vaine placed in our nature the knowledge of the difference that is betweene vertue and vice betweene things honest and dishonest and that griefe which is to take vengeance in vs of those vices and crimes of which wee feele our selues guiltie And therefore the Heathen themselues concluded that there was not onelie a diuine iustice and nature which discerned good men from euill but also that there was another life after this in which this iudgement should bee made For they considered what great torments the wicked feele in their heartes and conscience after they haue committed horrible crimes and that there is none so audacious and obdurate not the greatest mocker and contemner of God and of his iudgments that can be who can always exempt himselfe from this dolour and paine notwithstanding hee labour with all his might to the contrarie For there is alwayes a certaine secrete vertue of Gods iustice which goeth beyonde them all and euermore punisheth the wicked Nowe it is certaine that these things come not thus to passe at all aduenture In like manner it is not possible that this knowledge which men haue to discerne vertues from vices shoulde bee a casuall thing and come thus to passe at aduenture without the certaine prouidence of God For if it were so that there were no punishment appoynted for vices and no more benefite or ioye prepared of God for the good then for the euill it should follow that all this knowledge shoulde bee giuen to man in vaine For it should doe him no more good then if hee were without it as brute beasts are Moreouer seeing all the wicked are not punished in this life it followeth necessarily that there is another life wherein they shal be punished and in which also God wil acknowledge the iust and cause them to enioy that good which he hath prepared for them For God cannot bee God but he must bee all-good aliust and almightie If hee be good hee cannot hate the good or them that doe it but loue them so as that hee cannot doe otherwise For howe shoulde hee not loue his like And as he cannot hate goodnesse or good men so hee cannot loue euill nor the wicked that follow after it but hateth them necessarily as contrarie to his nature Nowe Loue is of that nature that it cannot but desire and procure the good and honour of him whome it loueth as contrariwise hatred cannot but desire and procure the hurt and dishonour of him whome it hateth It followeth then necessarily that God beeing good and iust loueth good and iust men desiring and procuring their honour and their good and contrariwise that he hateth vniust and wicked men desiring and procuring their confusion and ruine And if hee haue this desire and this will no doubt but hee can easily and doeth also execute the same seeing hee is all-iust and almightie Truely this conclusion cannot seeme to bee ill grounded and those Heathen Philosophers who thereupon haue concluded the immortalitie of soules and the iudgement of God in another life had good reason so to doe For it is taken not only from the nature of man and from that image of God after which he was created but also from the very nature of God So that whosoeuer gainesayeth the same hath no more reason then if he saide that there is no God and that God is not God and that man is not man and that he differed in nothing from a beast neither God from the deuill And so not onely all nature shoulde bee ouer-throwen but God also the author and Creator thereof For we see almost vsually that the wickedst men haue the greatest honors in this world and liue most at their ease as we haue alreadie shewed If then there be a God and any prouidence and iustice in him now who can so much as thinke there is none but hee may also perswade
and vnchangeable Incredulitie contrary to beleefe and opinion Of the diuers acceptions of this word Beleefe or Faith The description of Faith It is good for a man to knowe his owne ignorance 1. Cor. 2. 14. Foure meanes to knowe certainely those things that are to be beleeued Of generall experience Of the knowledge of principles Of the naturall knowledge of God in men The vse both of the naturall and of the written law Of natural iudgement Of the fourth meane of knowledge Hebr. 11. Of the image of God in man Ephes 4. 24. The difference betwixt soule and spirite Matth. 10. 39. rom 13. 1. Esay 40. 5 6. Iuc 3. 6. Rom. 8. 6. Genes 1. How God proceedeth in the creation of his workes How the powers of the soule manifest themselues How they haue their degrees in growth Luke 1. 80. The difference betwixt reason and iudgement and contemplation Why some haue preferred Philosophie before riches Of the benefits that commeth by the contemplation of diuine things Of the contemplation that is after this life When all men shall be of one iudgement The actiue life must be ioyned with the contemplaiue The obiect of the will is as large as that of the mind What great confusion is in our corrupt nature Of the desires that are in creatures Three kindes of appetites Of the Naturall appetite Of hunger and thirst Two kindes of Sense Of the seate of the naturall appetite Of the sensitiue appetite kinds thereof The vse of the sinewes Of the affections The ende of knowledge The best thingsin beasts are sensuall Beasts haue no Will. Matth. 5. From whence the desires of all creatures ought to be deriued What Will is and how it worketh How reason is set ouer the Will Diuers acceptions of the words Reason Will Psal 115. Matth. 6. The Will is the chiefest appetiteâ— The Wil aymeth alwaies at good The Will is free and vnconstrayned Of the image of God in the Will Good is alwayes the obiect of the Will Diuers degrees in the actions of Will How the Wâ— coÌ„mandeth the appetite The difference betwixt the natural and regenerated man What is the chief good that meere naturall men seeke after What good men are taught to ayme at by the heauenly light How we must cary our selues both in prosperity and aduersity Of the frailety of mans estate Of the power of the Will in all actions Why men preferre earthly things before heauenly Will sometime reiecteth all counsaile What freedome the Will hath in outward actions The neere coniunction of Reason and Will Euâ—â— spirites haue power ouer the Will The difference of mans obedience to God from that of other creatures Difference betwixt Knowledge and Affections Of the discord betweene the heart and the braine A comparison Rom. 1. 18. verse 21. How the Scripture taketh the word heart Matth. 22. 40. Of the agreement that ought to be betweene the minde and the heart Why the heart is taken sometime for the seate of reason Deut 29 4. Matth. 22. 37. 1. King 3. 12. Rom. 1. 24 25. Pleasure of it owne nature a gift of God The end of mans creation Of the second belly of the body Ezech. 27. 4. ionas 2. 4. matth 12. 40. Of the midriffe and of his vse Of the skinnes of the breast and of their vse Of the cawle of the heart Of the fashion of the heart Of the water in the cawle of the heart Of the office of the heart Of the lungs and of their vse How the lungs couer the heart How the heart agreeth with the heauens Of the arteries and their office How the vitall spirites agree with the aire and windes Of the double motion of the heart and the vses thereof An admonition to mutuall loue 1. Iohn 3. 20. Whereof the striking of the breast arose Of the substance of the heart The situation of the heart Of the counterpoize of the heart A good lesson for euery one Deuter. 5. ezech 20. Of the two voide places in the heart and of their vse What the vitall spirite is Of the great artery Aâ—example of â—utuall succour Of the veiny â—â—â—ery Of the doores and pipes of the heart Goodly instructions for al men Moderation is 〈◊〉 be kept in all things Superfluitie to be auoided in all things Good counsell for Princes Man was created not onely to be but also to be well What the affections are Two kindes of affections What affections goe before iudgement Agreement betweene the temperature of the body and the affections of the soule The affections can doe much with the body â—oy good for the body and Griefe hurtful to it How the agreement betweene the body and the soule may be discerned Naturall qualities breede diseases Men are more carefull for the health of their bodies then of their soules The affections breed the health or sicknes of the soule How the soule receiueth from the body in regard of the diuers temperatures thereof Agreement betweene corporall and spirituall Physicke Luke 21. 34. Rom. 13. 3. Ephes 5. 18. Act. 13. 2. Iudge 20. 26. Psal 69. 10. Esth 4. 16. The knowledge of physicke necessary for all Sinne is the cause of all disorder discases and of death Three things to be considered in the facultie of Knowledge How habâ—tes are bred in the minde Foure things to be considered in the Will and desires Of natural inâ—linations and affections Rom. 1. 30. 2. Tim. 3. 3. Leuit. 19. 18. matth 5. 43. Of the vâ—â—â—lines of our naturall affections 2. Tim. 3. 2. Rom. 1. Of true loue towards a manâ— selfe towardâ— his Gen. 22. Naturall inclinations are seeds of vertues or vices The originall of all diseases What a habite is Of the force of custome Sweat is Gentleman-vsher to vertue The cause and profite of an habite What affection is froÌ„ whence vertue and vice first spring The fountaine of morall philosophie Why the affections are giuen to the soule The affections compared to the windes Of commotions perturbations How 〈◊〉 the iudgement can preuaile ouer the affections The originall of violent motionâ— in the soule A similitude shewing the perilous motions of of the soule The effects of a prudent and wise man Of the variety of affections The cause of all motions in the â—oule Two kindes of punishments Of the generation nature and kindes of the afâ—ections How the affections are bred or brideled one of another Goodly similitudes The first motion of the heart is an image of the second Griefe or Ioy in all the affections Ioy appeareth in the face The effects of laughter in the face 2. Cor. 6. 11 12 What is meant by bowels in the Scripture 1. King 3. 26. Col. 3. 12 13 14. The true workes of a Christian 1. Ioh. 3. 17 18. Isay 58. 10. What ioy is How the heart chuseth euil for good What sorrow is Of melancholy The effect of sorrowe A commendable vse of teares Rom. 12. 15. A comparison Psa 34. 8 9 10. Vers 19. 21.
the immortality of soules But they will giue no credite to any thing that we fetch from the saying of Pythagoras and Socrates and from the writings of Plato Aristotle Cicero Plutarch and an infinite number of other excellent Philosophers of all nations who haue all taught that there is a diuine prouidence and iustice and that the soule is immortall What shal we say then where shall we seeke for arguments which they will vouchsafe to heare I haue heard them say sometimes that they would giue credite to naturall Philosophy in those things wherein the causes are prooued by their effects Now if we take this course to prooue vnto them a godhead his prouidence his future iudgement and the immortalitie of the soule which way soeuer we turne our selues eyther vpward or downward on the right hand or on the left we shall find testimonies euery where which they may not in any wise reiect For we haue nature the necessitie of causes proportion and similitude the life decency and dignity of man the goodnesse of God the vtility that commeth by mankind proceeding from the bounty of God all which with one common consent and as it were with one voyce doe teach cry that there is one God creator gouernor of the whole world and that the soule of man cannot be mortall Hereof it is that the holy Ghost doth often propound vnto vs in holy scriptures this whole visible world as a great booke of nature and of true naturall diuinitie all the creatures as preachers and generall witnesses of God their creator of his workes and of his glory Neuerthelesse there are but fewe that haue such eyes as are requisite for the reading of this booke or fit eares to heare the voyce and to vnderstand the sermons of these naturall preachers no not amongst them that are most skilfull and best studied in the searching out of nature and haue greatest knowledge of naturall things of liberall arts and of all humane philosophy For there are as many yea moe to whom in this respect the selfe same thing is befallen which long since befell to the first and greatest philosophers vnto whom Saint Paul obiecteth this by way of reproch that when they knew God by the works of the creation of the world wherein he maketh his power his eternall and inuisible Godhead as it were visible vnto vs they did not glorifie him as God but withheld the trueth in vnrighteousnesse And yet it wil not be a hard matter for vs God being our helper to make it manifest by the consideration not onely of the whole frame but of the least creature therein especially of the body and soule of man who is a litle world and of the creation nature dignitie and excellency of both his parts how not onely the simplest and most ignorant may and ought to learne to know God his prouidence ouer euery nature and so to honor and to glorifie him as hee hath bound them thereunto but also how the wisest ought to direct all their skill and knowledge which they haue in naturall philosophy to this selfe same end As for those that make open profession of Atheisme and refuse the testimonies which God in his word setteth downe vnto vs of himselfe of his prouidence and of all things belonging to the saluation and soueraigne good of men they shal haue yet wil they nill they ynough probable reasons to prooue all these things so that we may easily conuince and prooue vnto them by these testimonies which euery one of them carieth about in himselfe both the immortality of the soule as also the religion of God and of his prouidence For these three things are so linked together that in no wise they cannot neyther ought to be separated so that he which admitteth the one must of necessitie approoue the others and if he doubt of the one he reiecteth all As therefore my companions some yeeres past after our returne from warre we tooke occasion vpon the corruption that then was in all the estates of Fraunce and the forlorne manners which raigned in euery one to meete together and to discourse in our Academy of the institution in good manners and of the meanes to liue well and happily to the end that in renuing the memory of our former studies we might begin to direct our life to that principall end which the Philosophers appoint thereof namely vertuous actions So I thinke that euen now we haue an other good occasion to read in this great booke of nature and to bring one to another whatsoeuer we haue learned concerning the nature of man For first we haue leaue in regard of our Princes seruice to recreate our selues for a while in our owne houses Againe the selfe same place where we met so fitly and wherein we began our former discourses of Philosophy doth inuite vs to proceed in them Moreouer we doubt not of the combat which is prepared for vs when we shal visite our neighbours and friends amongst whom many professe themselues better Philosophers then good Christians We know also into what straights we haue bene brought in our masters courts and let vs not hope that the perill will be lesse when their seruice shall recall vs neere vnto them Wherefore we shal doe well to arme our selues now with all the reasons and testimonies which wee haue in nature against that Epicurean doctrine whose only drift is by denying the immortalitie of the soule to turne men from all religion and feare of God For thus doing we shall not onely greatly profite our selues but them also who being in danger to be seduced by such deceiuers shall heare vs now and then reason with them who feeling themselues conuinced by naturall reasons wherein they supposed to haue greatest strength will not be so bold to vomit their poyson before others but shall be constrained to dâ—gest it by themselues â—o heir owne confusion and ouerthrow I desire therefore my companions to know how you stand affected towards this my intent and purpose AMANA If euer there were age wherein those signes of the end of the world which the spirit of God hath foretold vs haue bene seene it is this wherein they are so apparant that there is no one body if he be not depriued of all discourse of reason who doth not acknowledge them very euidently For we are fallen into those times wherein store of false prophets are arisen haue seduced many wherein all iniquity is increased and charitie altogether frozen Which thing hath discouered not only many false religions but also Atheisme which is farre worse For without doubt they that are altogether voyd of religion are farther off froÌ„ true religion then they that follow one that is false And yet there are as many yea moe at this day that doe openly shew themselues to be Atheists Epicures then there are of those that are taken for good Christians If in outward shew they professe religion it is but to couer
themselues vnder the vale thereof to the end that men should not take theÌ„ for such as they are indeed as also that they might keepe company with the best But in their hearts amongst their companions they mocke laugh at al religion at al feare of God whatsoeuer els is taught vs by his word touching any other life theÌ„ this wherin ioy is prepared for the good and torments for the wicked Nowe if there were nothing els to doe but to conuince such men of errour lying the matter were easie for they cary all their witnesses and their condemnatioÌ„ with them but they are not so easily confounded For a man is conuinced when he is constrained to acknowledge in his conscieÌ„ce that he hath no reason wherby he is able to withstand gainsay that trueth which is shewed vnto him which condemneth him But if he be obstinate head-strong wickedly giuen fâ—oward he will neuer leaue kicking against the pricke but perseuere in his headinâ—sse and obstinacie in his maliciousnes and peruersenes For wheÌ„ reason faileth him he armeth himselfe with impudencie like to a bold murtherer or to a shamelesse harlot that will blush at nothing Therefore Chrysostome said not without reason that heretiks may wel be conuinced but not confounded For they do but wipe their mouth as Salomon speaketh of an harlot which presently after boasteth that she is an honest woman But howsoeuer wicked men striue to blindfold their vnderstanding to harden their heart against the iudgement of God yet it is neuer propounded vnto them but will they nill they they feele themselues pricked and pressed with some sence thereof True it is that it is not so with them as the childreÌ„ of God are touched as they of whom it is written that after they had heard the preaching of Saint Peter they were pricked in their hearts whereby they were led to true repentance because they had bin touched to the quicke by the word But it is said of the reprobate and of them that are hardened of which sort are all Atheists that God hath giuen them a pricking spirite by reason of their bitter hâ—â—â—t which causeth them alwaies to increase in bitternesse to fret and chafe against God when they feele themselues pressed by his word and by his iudgement Therefore I am of opinion my companions that for this cause and for those reason which ASER recited vnto vs we are now to call to memory all the testimonies that we can bring of God of his prouidence of his iudgement and of the immortalitie of mens soules by the consideration of the nature of man and of his parts the body and soule expecting when sometime hereafter God shall giue vs grace to contemplate the selfe same things in euery nature and in all this great visible world For no doubt but such kind of contemplation will furnish vs sufficiently with arguments to conuince all Epicures and Atheists to constraine them to acknowledge in their conscience a diuine iustice and an eternall life The heauens saieth the Prophet declare the glory of God the firmament sheweth the worke of his hands This hie ornament this firmament so cleare and face of heauen so sumptuous to behold is a thing full of greatnesse Therein we may behold the Master builder thereof clothed with the whole frame as with a garment which is a sure testimonie of his power and vertue He who cannot fall within the compas of mans grosse sences maketh himselfe as it were visible in his terrible workes This worlde is vnto vs a learned schoole wherein the praise of God doth preach it selfe It is a goodly large rich shop wherein this soueraigne and most excellent workman layeth open all his works to this end that he might be knowen by them It is a temple wherein there is no creature so little but it is as it were a similitude and resemblance of the creator thereof to shew and manifest him vnto vs. In a word it is a Theatre where the diuine essence his iustice his prouidence his loue his wisedome haue their working by a wonderfull vertue in euery creature euen from the hiest heauen vnto the center of the earth Aske the beasts saith Iob and they shall teach thee and the foules of the heauen and they shal tel thee or speake to the earth and it shall shew thee or the fishes of the sea and they shall declare vnto thee Who is ignorant of all these but that the hand of the Lorde hath made these But truly there shineth in man more then in all other creatures a beame of the diuinity a proportionable image and similitude of his nature in that God hath framed him of an immortal soule capable of vnderstanding of reason to make him partaker of his eternal glory and felicity O Lord saith the Psalmist who marueilous is thy name in all the wolde What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him Thou hast made him a litle lower then God and crowned him with glory and worship Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thine hands thâ—â— hast put all things vnder his feete But withall as God hath more expresly created man after his owne image then any other visible nature and therefore more excellent then the heauens or the earth or any thing contayned in them so he hath singulerly bound him to know and to honour him in which thing he hath placed his soueraigne Good But man being exalted by God to that honour that he might attaine to so great felicitie could not conceiue or acknowledge it which is the cause that we see so many who following the corruption of mans nature are not onely become like to brute beastes but much more vnthankefull yea farre more forgetfull miserable then they are The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but man will not know God his creator of whome he holdeth body soule and goods What a horrible shame is it that the Oxe the Asse which are such dull beasts should giue greater honor and obedience to man of whom they receiue their food then man doth to God of whom he hath and dayly doth receiue so many benefits Let vs make hast therefore my companions to go to the schoole of nature For if we profite well therein I doubt not but we shall easily come to the knowledge of the creator thereof and of the chiefe end of our being ARAM. All things created haue their proper motion which they follow according to that loue that euery one of them beareth to his natural disposition For the heauens continue alwayes constant in their naturall motions And as the fire and ayre naturally loue to be aboue and therefore drawe thitherward without ceasing so the water and earth loue to keepe below so that they alwayes bend that wayes So that none of the elements can find any